Walk the Long Road
by Scarecrowqueen
Summary: Somewhere, running alongside and parallel to every known universe, exists The Road. At the end of The Road is the Oracle; who is capable of all things, including granting Jack Frost a single wish, if Jack succeeds. Even immortals can die; luckily, they don't have to stay dead. With Bunny gone and the clock ticking, Jack knows that failure is not an option. Jack/Bunny pre-slash.
1. The Road

I've been informed that tomorrow is the 1 year anniversary of ROTG. Happy anniversary everyone, have new fic! For everyone wondering why Hope and Ruin and What Doesn't Kill You are so long overdue for updates, this would be why. Dunno, let me know if you think it's worth it.

Recommended listening for this chapter:

**1) ****Theme for 'Walk the Long Road'**

X-Ray Dog - Cyberworld

**2) T****heme for Jack and Bunny**

Skylar Blue - Till Death Do Us Part

(See my profile for links)

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"End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it."  
― J.R.R. Tolkien

Jack knelt on the muddy ground, holding Bunny's paw so tightly he thinks it must hurt, but the other only smiles, thinly, weakly. A trickle of blood slides from the corner of his lips, staining gray fur red as it makes its way to the wet earth where it splashes, lurid crimson on dark brown. The others are coming, still finishing off the last of the creatures; some unknown enemy that had slunk their way to Earth looking for an easy meal. They hadn't found one, the Guardians had seen to that, but it appeared that this time, they would not escape unscathed. Jack holds Bunny's hand tighter, wishing, praying, but knows deep within that even if the rest were there, none of them had the ability to forestall the inevitable.

Bunny squeezes Jack's hand in the last moment before his heart stops. Jack thinks the feeling of his friend's hand going limp in his own is the worst thing he's ever felt in his life. Then, he raises his head to meet the eyes of his fellow surviving Guardians, and discovers he was wrong, the look of grief engraved in their features takes first place, by far.

_Bunny's grip on Jack's upper arms is so tight it hurts, his blunt claws digging in like little pinpricks even through the heavy fabric of his hoodie._

"_Are you trying ta off yourself, mate? Got a death wish do ya?" Bunny's words are punctuated by a non-so-gentle shake that makes Jack's teeth chatter together. He scowls, grabbing at Bunny's hands to dislodge them, but the other is unmoved even when Jack pinches the backs with his pointy fingertips. _

"_Bunny, you're hurting me, you need to let go."_

"_I'll not let go, Jack, not until you understand!" Bunny's face is dead serious, and there's a tone in his voice that Jack has never heard before, something so solemn beneath the panicked anger that it brings Jack up short and robs his throat of all moisture. _

"_Understand what, Bunny?" Jack tries to let his seriousness show on his face, and something must, because the grip relaxes, and Bunny runs his hands soothingly up and down Jack's biceps a couple times, as if to apologize for the definite bruising._

"_You are immortal Jack, but not invulnerable." Jack opened his mouth to argue, but Bunny kept going, talking over him to forestall his interruption. "I know, you might think it, you're a tough little bugger, and we take damage and bounce back like nobody's business, it's all part of the Guardian package. But you are not Eternal, Jack. Nothing is this world is. Everything fades or crumbles eventually. You can die, Jack. We all can. In your haste to experience anything, in the zeal of your youth, do not forget that." With one more rub, Bunny steps back, releasing Jack but holding his gaze. Jack is struck by the look in Bunny's eyes; he had know intellectually that Bunny was ancient, that he perhaps even pre-dated the entire planet, but he'd never felt a fraction of that before until this moment, the weight in his gaze intense enough to make the winterchild shiver. Heavily, Jack swallowed, forcing the lump in his throat down to speak._

"_I promise Bunny, I'll be around for a long time yet to annoy you." Jack offered the other a brittle smile to accompany his frail attempt at humour. The effort was paltry, but Bunny seemed to appreciate the gesture anyway, snorting a bit in laughter and reaching out to scrub his fingers though Jack's thick hair, making the frozen strands stand on end. _

"_Look forward to it, brat." This time, both their smiles were genuine._

The funeral is somber, and Jack remembers a funeral a long time ago, before he'd taken his vows, when they had all believed that Sandy had fallen. This is worse however, because Jack had cleaned and dressed the body himself. He'd felt the lifelessness in Bunny's limbs, the hollowness of his slack face, the emptiness that lay behind his eyes before Jack had gently closed them. Jack had felt the life leave his friend, how could there be any doubt he was gone? He watches North light the candles, Bunny's body laid out and wrapped in a burial shroud. They each stand, the four remaining, on the points of the compass North had inlaid in the floor of his globe room. The mosaic had long since been updated to include Jack, so now they gather, facing the point that had represented Spring and Hope. When North completes the ritual he steps back into his spot, and together they hold vigil for the fallen. The silence stretches, uncomfortable and full of pain and sorrow, and eventually, Jack breaks.

"There must be something," Jack says, staring at Bunny's candlelit memorial, his eyes hot and damp, but without tears. North cries openly, silently, and Tooth's shoulders hitch a little with sobs that are muffled by her tiny hands. Sandy does not cry because he cannot, is simply not made for it, but his very glow is dimmed with grief and Jack does not doubt his mourning, as no one doubts Jack despite his voice being steady, even, if a little thickened with his unshed tears. "There must be some way. Sandy came back, there has to be a way..." Jack trails off, unable to even fully articulate what he means, but his companions understand.

"There is no way, Jack. Sandy was special case; he could not be destroyed by his own element, even corrupted as it was. Bunny was different. He... is lost." North rubs at his eyes for a moment, and Jack wished he could do the same, wishes he could wear his pain so openly, but that is not who Jack is, that is not who Bunny had known him as and he refuses to disappoint the other by being somebody else, even for only a moment. Sandy is looking at him, however, a spark is his eyes, and slowly, more sluggishly than usual, his sand begins to moved, spinning through pictographs that Jack has never seen. Tooth catches on before Jack does; gasping in a way that tells Jack that whatever Sandy has suggested is shocking.

"What? What is it?" Jack asks, stepping forward eagerly, hoping Tooth is willing to explain.

"It's..." Her voice trails off and she shoots a look at North across the way, Jack looks too and see's the way North's expression has shuttered, and for a moment fears that Tooth will not tell him. "It's the Road, Jack."

Jack's brow wrinkles in confusion. "The road? Never heard of it."

"It's old, half-myth and mostly forgotten," Tooth continues, ignoring North's resigned sigh, the man's head slumping forward in defeat as she speaks. "The Long Road, or The Questing Path, is the walkway between worlds."

Jack blinks, somewhat confused. "You mean between planets, like the places were Sandy and Bunny and Pitch came from?" Tooth nods a little, confirming, red-rimmed eyes intense.

"Somewhat yes, but more than just that. Different universes, different planes of existence, different realities. Everything that has ever existed in any place is all connected through various back doors, to put it in layman's terms. The Road leads between them all, is the only straight path from here to the edge of everything, and it leads to what some call the nexus, or the place where all things meet. There, in that place, is the Oracle. Some call it God, others call it Truth, still others have names for it in languages never spoken on Earth. It is said though, that the Oracle see's all, knows all, and is all-powerful, and that those who can walk the Road, survive its trials, can ask one boon of it." Jack's brain has been whirring away since Tooth began to speak, but it stops dead on that last little bit of information.

"I could ask for Bunny back."

Tooth offers a hesitant nod, but North's loud harrumph draws all attention to him.

"Is dangerous, Jack. The Road is incredibly long, with many obstacles and enemies on its path, perhaps even more of the things that did this to us. Few Earthborn have ever attempted the journey, and none who have ever returned. Even if you survive, there is no proof of any Oracle waiting." North's weighty gaze lands on Jack, pinning him beneath the force of his sincerity. "I fear Jack, a mission such as this, is suicide."

Jack feels suddenly lightheaded at the prospect, fear of his own death warring with the grief for his dearest friend. Beside him, Sandy begins to sign again, and even Jack recognizes the image of a road when he sees it. He has Sandy's support, and out of the corner of his eye, he can see Tooth nodding. Jack raises his head, looks North in the eye, lets him see the determination burning there. North sighs and slumps a bit further, looking suddenly a thousand years older. Jack feels guilty, knowing his friend will never forgive himself if Jack doesn't return, but he's Jack Frost, he cannot give up now, it's not in his nature.

Besides, somewhere out there is a force that can bring Bunny back to him, and his life is a small sacrifice compared to the promise of that payoff. Squaring his shoulders, Jack nods once, with finality.

He will walk the Road, and MIM help him if he fails.

"_I just don't understand, Bunny. If MIM sees everything, why didn't he see me? When I was alone, I mean. Three hundred years... Did he just ignore me?" Jack's voice wobbles a little, despite his best efforts, and Jack can see the moment the sympathy beings to bleed onto Bunny's face. Always sympathy, never pity, that's what Jack likes most about the other Guardian. That and the fact that he knew something like every martial art, ever. Bunny's face was serious as he reached over and put a steady, warm hand on Jack's thin shoulder._

'_Listen here kiddo, first off, MIM is good, but he can't see and hear everything. He's got a bird's eye view of us, but that doesn't make him omniscient. He misses a lot more than you think up there and sometimes I think that half the stuff he sees, he's been stuck up there alone for so long that he has no context for. It's not an excuse, you shouldn't have been left like you were, and I don't know the reasons why. You already know that I'm sorry for my bit in all that, but I want you to know that I'm mad too Jack, on your behalf. No one should go it alone, least of all you." Jack grins at Bunny, slightly teary, ignoring that Bunny is too. "You got us now, kid. Don't ever forget. Whatever happens, we will always be with you."_

Sandy knows how to find the Road, which doesn't surprise Jack. Sandy is older even then Bunny is...was. Sandy has seen corners of the galaxy that perhaps no other had ever travelled before; it makes sense that he would know such things. The preparations take three days, during which Jack visits his believers, spends time spreading Joy as only he can, in the hopes that he will leave indelible memories, should he fail to return. When they all gather again, possibly for the last time, Jack finds his friends all hardened, resolved. There will be no tears today, only well-wishes and thorough goodbyes. The ritual to open their Doorway is all drawn out in chalk, which makes it easily scrubbed out as soon as Jack is through. This will help stop what lies on the other side from bleeding through; Jack had been informed by North. The three other Guardians were waiting for him, lined up informally as if leading the way to the waiting Door. North stands closest, while Sandy waits to active the runes, so it is North that Jack greets first.

"You must be wary, Jack. The things that like beyond the door come from all worlds, and yet none. They are things lost, things forgotten, things trapped, and their rage and pain know no bounds. They are the most fearsome of foes, do not let your guard down for an instant. Show no mercy, for you will be shown none. And when the darkness draws near, remember to keep you light close to you." North hands Jack a small crystal then; a palm-sized lump that was somewhat egg-shaped, if eggs tended to be slightly lumpy. The crystal glowed brightly for a moment as his fingers clenched around it, and Jack smiled at North, a silent thank you for the magical item. Doubtless it would prove useful in the days ahead. Jack allows the other man to pull him into an overly-tight embrace, knowing it could be the last bear hug he ever receives. When he is finally released, he pats North on his large shoulder, and moves over to Tooth.

The Queen of the Tooth Fairies looks like she's been crying again, or perhaps not sleeping, so reddened are her eyes, but she stands strong before Jack, a sad smile on her lips. In her hands is a colourful ball of fabric, and when he draws even with her, she shakes it out and settles is about Jack's shoulders. It's then he realizes it's a cloak; a proper winter one, lined with feathers that are so familiar he has no trouble recognizing them as hers.

"This is probably brighter than you're used to Jack, but it will offer you some protection from the creatures you're likely to find. Keep it close to you, and always remember the people who love you." She smoothes down the fabric over his shoulders and offers the same small smile as before. Jack embraces her gently, mindful of her fragile wings.

"Follow your heart Jack, and trust your instincts," She murmurs into his ear while she holds him close. As he lets her go to step back, Baby Tooth rockets her tiny body into Jack's shoulder so hard he actually thinks he might bruise, and for a moment he even fears she's hurt herself. She appears unharmed, however she will not be dissuaded from joining him, despite both Jack and Tooth's coaxing.

"It's going to be dangerous, Baby. I don't want you to get hurt, I'd feel bad forever, honestly." Baby Tooth looks up at him from the spot crouched on his palm, hugging his thumb in a death-grip. Her tiny voice is confident, unwavering. She will go with Jack, because Jack is not, and will not be alone. Jack fights back tears as he allows her to settle onto his shoulder, tucked into the folds of his new cloak for protection. He looks to Tooth, but she just pats Jack on the cheek and Baby Tooth on the head, and lets them go.

Sandy gives Jack a warm, if subdued grin. In his hands is a knife, a crude one, made of obsidian and so sharp it could part a strand of hair lengthwise. Jack accepts the gift, knowing that as useful as the other gifts were, Sandy is the only one pragmatic enough to give him a weapon. Jack carefully tucks the blade into his belt, knowing that this weapon will likely be needed, and feeling slightly sick at the thought. It was one thing to wield his frost; it was what he was made for. It was another thing entirely to take a knife to another living creature, even in self-defense. Jack would not falter though, and though he might fail, it will not be because he was not brave enough, or did not have enough conviction to follow through. He nods his thanks to Sandy, taking the other mans' hand briefly in solidarity, before the other drifts back and proceeds to open the portal.

The Doorway opens like its being ripped straight into the fabric of reality, which Jack supposes it probably is. He feels the pull of the emptiness beyond like a mysterious vacuum, and chooses not to fight it, instead stepping forward into its embrace. Jack casts one long, slow glance over his shoulder at his family, cherishing the sight of them and burning it into his memories for the lonely days to come. Then, without hesitation, he walks through the Door, feeling the temporal hole slam shut behind him with a finality that told him there was no going back.

"_They say there are only two stories in the world: man goes on a journey, and stranger comes to town__." _

_Jack looked up at Bunny as the Pooka spoke, noting that the other was still hunched over the colour river, carefully weeding along the shoreline. Jack sat up from where he'd been lying reclined against one of Bunny's stone golems, lazily taking in the unending spring of the Warren, along with enjoying a companionable silence. Jack had realized a while back that Bunny did this; would start a conversation with a random fact or bit of trivia. He'd do it casually, without looking at Jack, like maybe he was expecting Jack to have snuck out and was prepared to be disappointed when there was no response. Jack delighted in these long, meandering talks. He felt that these were the times he was closest to Bunny, when they're camaraderie was the strongest._

_In the aftermath of Pitch's last bid for power, Jack had struggled to settle into a comfortable rhythm with the other Guardians. It had taken him a while to figure out the actual give-and-take of true friendship, and for trust and understanding to be built. Jack had expected that Bunny would be the hardest to reach out to, considering their history, but once they'd found their stride they'd become nearly inseparable. Nowadays most people looking for Jack checked the Warren first, especially in his off-season. If Jack wasn't found there, then Bunny likely knew where he'd be. The others had thought it odd at first, but they'd soon grown used to the new status quo. Besides, it wasn't like Jack hadn't found plenty of excuses to visit them of his own accord, too._

"_Thoughts?" The Pooka prompted again, obviously awaiting Jack's input. Shaking himself from his inner monologue, Jack replied._

"_I think... to me, it means that there is only one story, just told differently. Another side might tell a different story, but it's all the same, in the end. In truth, the only difference is perspective; the story itself remains the same." Bunny grinned widely, Jack only just able to pick up the edge of it from his angle, seated slightly behind and to the Pooka's right._

"_Yeah mate, I thought so, too."_

"We all began as something else- a restless soul standing at the trail head."  
― Shannon L. Alder, _Never or Forever_


	2. The Uncanny Woods

The plan is to keep this fic updating on Wednesdays. If I fall behind, feel free to boot me!

Recommended listening for this chapter:

3) 'The Uncanny Woods': Nine Inch Nails - Just Like You Imagined

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In the middle of the journey of our life I came to myself within a dark wood where the straight way was lost.  
- Dante Alighieri

Jack and Baby Tooth step out onto what looks to be a forest trail, the portal snapping shut behind them with the finality of a deadbolt turning. The path they stand on is narrow and winds into the trees, quickly being obscured by heavy, dark branches. It must be autumn for the trees are barren but the winter chill is only yet a tease that Jack can feel in the air. It also appears to be twilight; the light thin and grey filtering through the long black finger-like branches above. The trees here are so close together that even without leaves, the canopy is dense enough to mostly blot out the sky. Jack finds himself momentarily thankful for the apparent season, for although winter would be a better strategically, as it would allow him to maximize his power in case of an attack, autumn was infinitely preferable to spring, or summer. Ironic that the season his best friend was responsible for heralded the time of year when Jack's powers began to wane. He might be much, much stronger now than he had been before he'd had believers, but out here in the mid-ground between the worlds he was cut off from the power of belief, and he felt it like an empty ache in his chest. Unlike the other Guardians, who would be in mostly dire straits without the power of belief behind them, Jack was just feeling the disorientation of getting used to being what he had been for the three hundred years before he'd spoken his vows. No, having walked out into summer might very well have proved disastrous until he at least got a feel for this place and any opposition he might encounter. Staff at the ready, he moved forward cautiously. Usually he'd take to the skies and avoid any ground-based predators, but the thick canopy would make ascending difficult. Which honestly is likely an excuse more than anything, because Jack is uncomfortable admitting that his instincts are screaming at him to walk, to forsake the sky. While it goes against his nature, he remembers Tooth's advice and trusts those instincts. On foot he will proceed, weapon primed, eyes peeled and Baby Tooth to watch his back. Jack will walk to Road, because flying is cheating, and the Road demands its own payment in the blood and suffering of those who travel it.

Nothing can be earned for free, and the Road's prices are steep. Jack is willing though, and prepared to pay anything he had for a chance to have Bunny beside him again. Let the Road take's its pound of flesh, Jack would hand it over bloody and still smiling. Let the enemies come, Jack will happily slay whatever stands in his way. No fire or flood, beast or calamity could stop him now. Gritting his teeth, Jack works his way deeper into the eerily still woods. Let them all come, Jack was ready.

It was only this state of hyper-awareness that allowed Jack to dodge to incoming attack. Barely a split-second before the projectile struck the earth at Jack's feet, sending up a plume of dirt clear into the treetops, Jack threw himself to the right. He landed sideways on a tree trunk, sending a retaliatory spray of frost without even thinking about it. He figured it was okay to fly now, considering he wasn't currently Walking The Road so much as desperately fighting for his life on top of it. A flash of white from the corner of his eye had him airborne again, careening wildly into another tree as the trunk he'd just been standing on practically exploded. Dammitall to MIM, what the hell was after him? It was almost too fast to see! Beside him, Baby Tooth was chittering madly, darting back and forth, trying as frantically as him to spot the attacker. Suddenly, she chirruped in triumph, shooting off to their left just as Jack had to fling himself away to avoid another onslaught. He wasn't quite fast enough this time however, and whatever it was clipped his ribs as he dodged. The tip was sharp and should probably have opened a wet, red line through his flesh, but Tooth's cloak held true and the blow was only impact damage, which still sent him floundering into the air. He hollered Baby Tooth's name, suddenly terrified she'd been hit, but with his staff arm flung up to protect his face from the flying bit of tree bark, and the other wrapped around his ribs in a knee-jerk reaction to protect what was likely a couple cracked bones, Jack was as good as useless to aid her.

Unable to properly steer, disoriented as he was, Jack's back slammed hard into what must've been the dirt, and he tumbled into the roots of another tree, sprawling undignified in the moss and deadfall of the forest floor. The contact with the ground and tree had aggravated his wounds, sending starbursts of pain up through his back and chest. Gasping, Jack reeled, fighting to regain his bearings and push himself to his knees, hoping to get up and fight through the agony. He wanted badly to return fire, but was afraid to, in case he accidently hit Baby Tooth. Pushing down the pain, Jack struggled to his feet, gazing warily forward and preparing to duck another strike at a moment's notice. His eyes hastily scanned his surroundings, searching for his colourful companion, when another angry trill drew his eyes to where Baby Tooth with flitting between the trees, fighting... absolutely nothing. Jack blinked, wondering if maybe he'd struck his head upon landing, but no, Baby Tooth was quite obviously ducking and weaving around what appeared to be a large, invisible opponent. Soon, Jack was able to pick out the vague edges of what appeared to be a large, many-limbed creature. The invisibility seemed to be more of an ability to cloak or blend in, kind of like a chameleon taken to the extreme, but when the beast moved just the right way Jack could see the flashes of black and white as it lashed out, unable to hit such a small, quick-moving target. Baby Tooth must have been biding her time however, because suddenly she struck fast and true, aiming for what Jack guessed by basic positioning must have been the eyes. She scored what looked like several direct hits in a matter of seconds, moving so quickly she blurred, because the creature reared back, letting out a guttural, unearthly wail as the disguise flickered and dropped entirely. Baby Tooth immediately fell back to Jack's side, as if to say 'I've done what I can, he'll all yours buddy.' Jack's assumption about the eyes must've been true, for the creature appeared blinded, roaring helplessly and thrashing in pain. Now that the camouflage was gone, the monster should be easy pickings. It also allowed Jack to see exactly what they had been fighting. Taking in the monster's appearance, Jack found himself wishing it had stayed invisible.

It was a bunny. Or at least, the body of a rabbit, smaller then his Bunny and lacking the anthropomorphic qualities of a Pooka, but about five time the size of a normal Earth rabbit. There were three, not two long sleek ears, and eight angry red eyes, seven of which had burst under Baby Tooth's sharp little beak, leaking greenish blood that slicked the creature's black fur to its snarling muzzle. It's legs though, those were the real nightmare. Six long, white legs extended from the beast's torso, connecting to the body beside the thing's spine. Each leg looked to be jointed in about five different places, allowing for the impressive range of mobility that Jack had been victim of earlier. Observing the legs, Jack realized abruptly that they weren't furry at all, because they were made of pure white bone; sharp and skeletal and very obviously lethal. Struck dumb, Jack could only watch, horrified, as with a loud, popping crack, the creature heaved, rib cage shuddering, and four more identical legs burst from its skin, coated in a layer of the same gooey blood. Ten legs now supported the creature, which hovered about thirty feet away, intense and menacing. The bunny's lips slid back in what appeared to be a smile; wicked and bloodthirsty and cruel, but then the jaw split wide; a pair of hungry black mandibles extending, what looked to be venom dripping freely as they clacked together threateningly in Jack and Baby Tooth's direction. The creature tensed, groaned, and Jack steeled himself and prepared to strike, when the groan evolved into a voice deep and raspy; the voice of a grown man gargling acid.

"JaaACk FrOoOOsSSsT..."

Jack couldn't repress his shiver of revulsion, the thing before him being possibly the most horrify and disgusting abomination he'd ever laid eyes on.

"A spider-bunny! Bunny-spider? Whatever, of course, it's a freaking spider. Travel to another plane of existence, and naturally, fight a giant-ass arachni-rabbit fresh out of the gate. I don't even need to mention the upgrade for the two free bonus legs." Jack muttered to himself as he closed in for the kill. The creature braced for his approach, letting out a second, low hissing rendition of Jack's name. The thing was still ludicrously fast and accurate enough still despite being mostly blind, and Jack found himself pressed to keep up, even with Baby Tooth bobbing and weaving to run interference and distraction. The only saving grace for the pair was that, while the legs were incredibly fast and flexible, they didn't have enough range of motion to attack properly if Jack and Baby Tooth came in from above. It tried, of course, but it was mostly frustrated, uncoordinated flailing, although that didn't stop the beast from getting lucky and opening a thin line of blood along Jack's cheekbone. The creature howled ferociously, mandible snapping at anything that came within range, but with its vision so severely hampered and without the chameleon-ability to hide, it didn't stand a chance. With a quick somersault mid-air, Jack ducked a writhing limb and struck in flat on the back with the curve of his crook.

It was the work of a moment then to freeze the beast solid, and then one good smack with his staff to shatter it into messy chunks of oversized rabbitspidermonster. Jack grunted in pain, feeling his ribs protest violently with the motion of swinging his staff like a baseball bat, but ignored it when he spotted something glimmering amongst the beast's remains. Stepping forward, Baby Tooth at his shoulder, Jack prodded the object gently with the butt of his staff, with no obvious consequence. It looked to be some kind of gemstone, not unlike the one Jack had from North in his pocket, except this one was black and shiny as the obsidian blade. Hesitantly, Jack knelt, reaching out a hand to the stone, curiosity briefly overwhelming his good sense. This proved to be a mistake, for as soon as it touched the flesh of his fingertips, Jack felt like acid was scouring his veins, traveling up his arm into his shoulder and neck to settle into his midriff. Jack yelped once loudly, Baby Tooth tweeting her alarm, before the world went dark and he collapsed into a heap in the slowly melting spiderbunny guts.

_Jack chuckled at Bunny's joke as they crested the hill. He'd wandered down to visit the other Guardian, citing boredom during his off-season. Bunny had accepted his company with the grace he usually did every time Jack found it necessary to gatecrash the Warren. Which, if Jack were to be honest, was becoming a more and more frequent occurrence. In the handful of years since Jack had become a Guardian, he'd slowly found himself settling into a routine that now included the rest of the Guardians as permanent, stable figures in his life. It was still somewhat novel to Jack to have friends to see, and places to go when he felt like companionship. He'd already resolved never to take it for granted, and so far seemed to have succeeded in ensuring that every moment spent with his new friends was appropriately appreciated. Bunny clapped Jack on the shoulder good-naturedly as they approached his den. He wandered off to the left of the home to draw a bucket of water from the well for washing. They'd both spent the day elbows-deep in the moist earth, planting and tending the small stalks that would one day become new Easter-egg plants. Stretching to work out a persistent kink, Jack plodded over to where he'd left his staff leaning against the outside wall of Bunny's home. He hadn't needed it for the work today, better to leave it where he couldn't accidentally freeze half the Warren. He was about three feet away, fighting down a yawn when he spotted it and froze. His throat worked uselessly a couple of times before he was able to find his voice._

"_...Bunny?" The words came out a bit more squeaky then he'd like, and his friend seemed to catch the tone because he was by Jack's side in an instant. _

"_Yeah Frosty, what is it?"_

_Jack tried to shrug casually, unable to turn his eyes away. "We... have a guest." Jack raised one hand and pointed, letting Bunny follow the line with his gaze until he saw what had Jack all worked up. There, in the curve of Jack's shepherd's crook, was a large brown spider, taking advantage of the convenient shape to spin itself a web._

_Bunny blinked a moment at the sight, and then turned to address his friend. "It's just a house spider, Jack. It won't hurt you."_

_Jack simply shrugged, trying to remain casual so as not to embarrass himself further. "Fantastic, he's all your then." Jack gestured in the direction of his staff, the way a hostess would on a game show. Bunny laughed, then stepped forward and carefully collected the tiny arachnid into his hands, cupping them around the small body to prevent escape. He carried the little interloper off to the side of the house out of sight, where Jack then heard him softly coaxing the small creature into the bushes there. Spider properly relocated, he returned, making a big show of inspecting Jack's staff for further uninvited guests, before handing it over with a flourish. Jack snatched it back, sticking his tongue out at his friend in a fit of juvenile pique, which only made the Pooka laugh again. _

"_You're not seriously afraid of them are you? You know that most of them are harmless, and those that aren't like warmer climates then you do!"_

"_Yeah well, I wasn't wildly fond of them as a human, and three plus centuries hasn't improved our relationship any. If I had my way, they wouldn't exist!" Bunny sobered slightly, the way he always did when Jack had said something particularly ignorant or childish. Jack was familiar with this behavior; it usually happened at least once a visit. He'd feel more patronized about it, but Bunny was always very gentle with correcting a mistake, or educating Jack on a topic he knew nothing about, so he didn't mind at all. And really, if Jack was going to seem like a uneducated bumpkin, it was better to be so in front of Bunny than anyone else. Bunny at least, never treated him poorly for it, and looked at every instance as an opportunity to teach instead of mock._

"_Spiders are important, Jack. They're part of nearly every ecosystem. You can't wish them away without impacted a number of delicate food chains."_

_Jack crossed him arms and sighed, knowing Bunny was right, but still feeling petulant on the subject. "I KNOW that, impacting ecosystems is bad, spiders are wonderful for the environment, blah blah blah. I still don't have to like them, do I?" Jack pouted overdramatically, lower lip jutting out, eyes wide and shiny, in an effort to make the other laugh._

_It succeeded, Bunny chuckling gently at Jack's antics. "That you don't, kiddo. Tell you what, you just call, and little ol' me will come and rescue you from the fearsome creatures any time you like!"_

_Jack couldn't help but laugh along, clasping his hands beneath his chin and batting his eyes at his friend, playing up the damsel in distress for all it was worth. "Oh brave and gallant Sir Bunnymund, you are my hero!"_

_Their combined laughter echoed across the grassy hills, filling the warm spring air with the sounds of their shared joy._

Jack comes back to consciousness slowly, shifting through strange, troubled dreams to finally awaken. He's sprawled inelegantly on his stomach on a bed of shattered wood chips and mostly-melted spiderrabbit guts. The smell alone is nauseating, but the shift of muscles in his back and shoulder blades as he prepares to push himself up sets a flare of pain so white-hot and sharp along his spine that he immediately dry heaves into the mess in front of him. Baby Tooth chirps in worry by his left ear, and after two or three more shuddering retches he is able to verbalize a vaguely reassuring noise between his gasps and pants. It takes him nearly ten minutes to maneuver himself to his feet, his back screaming in agony the whole time. At first he'd thought it was his ribs as a result of being hit by the Spider's leg, but now he suspects he must have sustained heavy bruising when he'd hit the ground, for his ribs appear to be nearly healed. The speed of healing alone tells him that it's been at least half a day since his collapse, but Baby Tooth is unable to confirm as she claims that the position of the sun had not changed the whole time Jack was out. Which means either the days here are of a length so incredible the sun has not noticeably moved in twelve hours, or that the sun does not move at all, and this land lives in a permanent twilight. Jack is sorely hoping it's the latter; he's in no shape to be moving at a decent speed and doesn't relish the thought of being stuck in a place where night time could potentially last for days, if not weeks.

Jack is also beginning to wish that he'd thought to bring some food with him. As a spirit Jack didn't require food, although he did indulge in the abundance of Christmas cookies while visiting North. Spirits were self-sustaining beings, meaning they maintained their own wellbeing based on their internal energies, which could be 'recharged' through belief, contact with their natural element like Jack's ice, or through other, more mystical or ritualistic ways. Jack wasn't as knowledgeable as he could be on what many of the other spirits he'd met in his time did to maintain themselves, but he did know that while he could heal himself in a comparatively short amount of time, he would be diverting precious energy to do so. Weakened as he was though, eating would give his body excess energy to burn, helping to keep him on high alert and ready to fight again at a moment's notice, while also boosting his rate of healing. As it was, his back was so sore that the very movement of his clothing on it hurt, although Baby Tooth had checked and there was no visible damaged, save a bit of swelling along his spine. Jack suspected fractured vertebrae, which would slow him down, but hardy as he was it would obviously not actually stop him. Jack debated waiting it out, hoping that another long nap would have him back in fighting form, but he didn't know if the spider had any friends lurking about who might take offense to its sudden and messy demise and relish and attack of opportunity. No, carrying on was the best option. Still hurting from the exertion, Jack leans his side into a tree to gather what energy he could before setting off. It wasn't a bad time to survey the battle site before him for any potential threats that might have been attracted to the noise he'd been making. Nothing so far had appeared, and the forest was as still and silent as t had been precious to the spider's attack. As he began to walk again, much slower than before and leaning heavily on his staff, Jack stubbornly refused to allow himself to think of his secondary reason for continuing; that the strange black stone, whatever it had been that' he'd touched, and that had triggered the attack, was gone, no longer beside him where he'd fallen. All that was left in fact was a smudge of black ash on Jack's fingers and palm. Clenching said fingers into a fist, Jack fought down the feeling of nervous tension. It's was nothing, he felt fine other than having been pile-driven into the hard earth by a giant arachnid-lagomorph, so the missing stone was nothing to worry about. The thought safely driven from his head, Jack sets himself to walking. It would be a long time before he'd be able to afford to rest again.

Baby Tooth, bless her, was working double time to ensure that nothing else was able to get the drop on them. Now that her more-sensitive visual acuity knew how to spot the camouflage, she insisted on fluttering about, alternating between watching behind them and taking point in the hopes of preventing another surprise attack. To both Jack and Baby's consternation though, hours passed and nothing emerged from the trees to trouble them further. Jack had to rest twice more, but each time it seemed to be easier and easier to get started again. Slowly but surely the pain in his back was fading, dialing down from a 13 on a scale of 10 to a more reasonable 8. It's still hurt like a mother, but it wasn't slowing him down as badly as before. With any luck, he'd be right as rain within another 24-hour stretch. Or at least an assumed 24 hour stretch based on their own internal clocks. Jack had estimated at least two days had passed in the woods, with no discernible difference in the quality of light leading him to believe that the woods were forever caught in the moment between sunset and true dark. It was a relief to Jack that at least he wouldn't be expected to fight another monster in the middle of the night. He's just debating whether it's worth it to make another rest stop, when the trees come to a sudden and abrupt end. Jack nearly tumbles to his knees when the springy deadfall beneath his feet gives way to the harshness of stone. Catching himself against the end of a large boulder and gritting his teeth against the renewed pain in his back, Jack lifts his head to survey the new territory. All around him is a gully, full of large, scattered rocks. They appear to be all different kinds, for example the layers on the walls of the ravine remind him of sandstone, but the rock beneath his feet crumbles and flakes like shale. The boulder he caught himself on is large and pale grey, worn smooth like an enormous river rock. Behind them, the treeline stands harsh and seemingly impenetrable, although Jack knows logically that he and Baby had just come through it. Looking at it now though, he knows that there would be no way to cross it to return to the forest, and a distinct feeling of unease creeps up his spine, making his hair raise in trepidation. Somehow, some force knows that he is here, knows what he is trying to do, and has now made it impossible to turn back.

Well, to be honest, it had been impossible to turn back ever since the Guardians had slammed the Door shut behind the two of them. In fact, he wouldn't put it past his friends to have done the mystical equivalent of locking it and throwing away the key to just ensure that nothing else slunk through to take another of their number from them. He didn't blame them in the slightest, he and Baby had both known that choosing the Long Road meant that they'd be alone; cut off and with no way to return save for successfully completing their intended mission. It was the ultimate sink or swim, and Jack had no intentions of sinking. With renewed vigour, Jack set forth into the veritable maze of stone. This was just another leg of a deranged yellow-brick road, on their way to see the wizard. Ill-advised at it was, he even found the good cheer to whistle has they went, and Baby, for all her scolding about it drawing unnecessary attention, soon joined him in harmony. Hey, just because this was all life-and-death, didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun where he could, right?

"_Bunny..." Jack called, teasingly, dragging his fingers through the colour river then flicking them at the other male, leaving tiny little droplets of colour on his fur. The Pooka, elbow-deep in his weeding, ignored him, yet somehow managed to do so with such an air of dignity that Jack could practically taste how put-upon the other surely felt. Jack naturally took this as permission to flick more dye at the other Guardian, fully aware of how much this was cementing him firmly in the 'annoying little ingrate' category. Jack wanted to worry more about the impression he was making, but he'd come here looking for a little entertainment, and right now Bunny was being nothing but B.O.R.I.N.G! Seriously, before he could at least provoke the other into a fight for the attention, but now that they were both Guardians, Bunny seemed to think that just pretending Jack didn't exist was the best way to handle him. _

_It hurt actually, more than Jack could rightly explain. At least when the other's had enough of his antics, they just politely told him so. Jack hadn't been very good at figuring out things like boundaries, and what it meant to wear out one's welcome, but the other's had been very accommodating, and most of all gentle with him while he re-learned how to be a friend and spend time with people. He appreciated the honesty and forthrightness so much he couldn't even be offended. He knew that he was often high maintenance, and could be difficult to get along with. As a personality, Jack was more often than not too intense for most people to handle in large doses. So far Bunny actually seemed to have the best tolerance, as if somehow not acknowledging Jack beyond a vague grunt in greeting gave him immunity to Jack's usual shenanigans. The combination of pain at the perceived rejection and determination to be noticed had Jack pulling out all the stops in an attempt to make the Pooka twitch. Well, almost all the stops. Jack refused to go so far as to freeze a single strand of grass in the Warren. He'd already had two ruined Easter's under his belt, and while that seemed to be water under the bridge now, he certainly wasn't going to do anything to even suggest to Bunny that he was looking for a third. No, the other had suffered enough loss of belief at Jack's unwitting hands, he wasn't about to even joke about it. Besides, he could kinda respect the Pooka if he let himself; the other was just too cool with his boomerangs and advance hand-to-hand knowledge, not to mention that fact that chocolate apparently gave his extra limbs, although Jack had yet to see proof. No, Bunny was a pretty awesome dude when somebody got to know him. Jack was just waiting for the chance to do so._

"_If yer gonna sulk over there all day, you should probably roll up your sleeves and dig in."_

_Jack blinked for a moment, wondering if somehow he'd tripped into an alternate reality where Bunny actually paid attention to him. But no, there he was, jade eyes locked on Jack's and clearly awaiting a reply. "Um, what?" Okay, not the most coherent of replies, but sue him, he was still reeling in shock from actually being spoken too!_

"_Roll em' up and help, kid. It's a fair sight better than just being a nuisance all day." Jack blinked again, slow and still somewhat confused, but he obeyed, rolling up the sleeves of his hoodie and moving closer to the other male, kneeling beside him on the bank. Bunny reached over and gently took Jack's hands in his, causing Jack to tense at the unexpected touch. Bunny had the decency not to say anything about Jack's apparent unease, instead he simply guiding his hands into the dye river, slowing him how to weed by feel. It took a few tries to get it right, but by day's end, Jack had a pile of plucked plants nearly as large as Bunny's own, Even better, he had the fragile new stirrings of a friendship to nurture, as well as the memory of Bunny's soft, careful smile._

"You take people, you put them on a journey, you give them peril, you find out who they really are."  
― Joss Whedon


	3. The Perplexing Quarry, part I

Recommended listening for this chapter:

4) Theme for the Trio:

The Glitch Mob - We Can Make the World Stop

* * *

"We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls."  
― Anaïs Nin

Jack was really regretting his commitment to walking now. As eerily beautiful as this world was; and it was lovely in a stark, harsh way, Jack's back was still sore, and his feet had begun to bleed shortly after arriving. He was unused to walking so far without being able to escape to the air to take a break, and despite three hundred years of walking barefoot, he was usually doing so on the softness of new-fallen snow or the smoothness of ice. Here the rocks were jagged and unforgiving, and it had quickly taken its toll. Before long, every step he'd taken had become excruciating, and he knew without even having to look that he was leaving a very obvious trail of bloody footsteps. He's stopped when he'd realized it, and torn the sleeves off of his hoodie, using them to bind his feet in an attempt to staunch the flow of blood, hoping to stop the inadvertent Hansel and Gretel effect, if nothing else. It seemed to have helped, although it had done nothing for the pain, and left Jack feeling oddly naked with his bare arms on display. Jack didn't let it faze him any more then he'd let the lingering pain is his back do so; his purpose was too important to waste time dithering over flesh wounds, and really, anything less than a missing limb he could probably deal with. Heck, as long as the limb wasn't that important, he could probably work with that too, if he had too. Bunny was worth far more than a hand or a foot anyways.

It had been and estimated four days by his count that he and Baby had been stuck in this new worldscape, with no hint of either friend or foe. Again, Jack was reduced to estimating the time passed base on his rather unreliable internal clock, because this world, like the forest before, seemed stuck at a permanent dawn, the sun forever frozen on the verge of coming up over the horizon. It could have been worse, though. The rocks held the perpetual coolness of stone chilled by night breezes and not yet warmed by the heat of the sun, so Jack was mostly comfortable. It was a little chillier than Baby preferred, as the woods had been, but when she felt overwhelmed she simply wrapped herself in the excess fabric of the cloak on Jack's shoulders. He didn't mind her small weight against him; in fact he found it rather comforting. In some ways, Baby had been is first friend; sticking with him in the arctic and helping him discover his lost memories. While he'd been terrified for her safety when she's insisted on coming with him, Jack knew he never would have survived the spider without her. She was also a balm to the solitude Jack felt, out here in the hostile wilderness. Without her he might've been reduced to talking nonsense to himself to fill the silence, the way he had before he'd been made a Guardian and found himself with an abundance of friends. Of course, as fabulous as Baby was, she was not Bunny, and never could be. No, Jack's friendship with Bunny was different, both more intense and deeply personal in ways Jack wasn't sure he could properly articulate if asked too. Bunny was something special, both as a person and to Jack, and the frost spirit could only be grateful to Baby for understanding and neither being jealous nor spiteful of that fact. Baby snuggled deeper into the folds of fabric at Jack's left shoulder, wrapped so tight that he wasn't sure how she was still breathing. Jack was happy that he could do this for her at least, to offer this little bit of comfort to her after he'd dragged her out of her home and away from all her sisters. He only hoped he was strong enough, brave enough, and clever enough to see her home again. It was strange though, every time the little fairy snuggled against him, she seemed to weigh just a little bit more. Jack hadn't noticed at first, the changes so minute, but now he was certain that she was taking up a bit more space against his neck when she curled there then she used to. Presented with this evidence, Jack had the sneaking suspicion that she was growing, and it conjured the uneasy feeling that this place and the energies found here were likely the cause. It made something hot and sick squirm beneath Jack's skin as he found himself wondering what changes this world could possibly be making on him, too. What would he do, if he found his way back to Bunny, but he wasn't the Jack that Bunny remembered anymore? Jack wanted to think that his friend would remain so despite any changes, but years of isolation and rejection still whispered in his blood, telling him not to hold his breath, that guys like him didn't get so lucky a second time.

Even lost in his thoughts as he was, it didn't distract him fully from the task at hand. Jack and Baby were still on high alert, the days of quiet not allowing them to fully relax. If anything it had them even more on edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop. The spider couldn't have been the only creature lurking about, waiting for what looked like easy prey. No, there was something out there, definitely, Jack could feel it. One glace at Baby told him that she too seemed to feel the invisible eyes upon them. With a quick nod, the little fairy took back to the skies, looking to gain a bird's eye view of their surroundings to spot their unseen watcher. Jack moved to put his back to edge of the canyon they'd been traversing, ducking behind a man-sized boulder. He proceeded slowly, trying to be as inconspicuous and silent as possible. Suddenly, Baby trilled above him, signalling that she's found the creature following them, and the location. Jack was off like a shot, letting the wind carry him over and around the rocks in his way, heading as fast as possible in the direction Baby had indicated. He arrived just in time to see the figure's shadow disappear into a narrow opening between two rocks. Unwilling to waste time, Jack went clear over them, as opposed to trying to fit his slim frame into the even slimmer opening. He come over the rocks just in time to see the figure, whatever it was, dart off into another, even smaller crack. Jack took the same route over, only to have his prey evade him once again. Letting out an uncharacteristic curse, Jack whipped around the next set of rocks at top speed, hoping to catch up to the creature. Whatever it was, it couldn't be all that big if it had fit into that narrow... little...

Oh, hello there. Totally not what he'd been expecting, at all.

Having leapt the boulders in his way, Jack had startled the small being as he was slipping free from a break between rocks. Jack had swiftly landed behind him, cutting off his escape and pinning the creature into a dead end. Baby had then appeared in the only other way out, squeaking in a way that was more threatening than you'd imagine something to small and colourful could be. The being had slumped a bit, shoulders curled and head bowed, knowing it was caught. It had then turned around, feet shuffling in the dirt and looking for all the world like it was about to face its executioners. Which Jack supposed, maybe it thought it was, considering the little guy wasn't quite twice the size of Baby and didn't look like much of a fighter despite being made entirely of rock. The being looked vaguely like a preschool kid had tried to make a snowman out of small stones. The arms and legs were each three little rocks stuck together, the body the biggest rock of all at about the size of Jack's fist. The head was a lighter colour; more white than the middle-grey colour of the rest of it. The head rock was also oddly lumpy, like a potato, with two small, beady black eyes, and no discernible nose of mouth. Jack blinked, utterly charmed by the little rock-man, who had now raised his hands in the universal 'I mean you no harm' gesture. The creature appeared to be trembling, stone knees knocking together with little clicking noises, eyes pleading with both of them, and Jack just didn't have it in him to hurt the darn thing, not when it didn't even come up to his knee!

"Baby... are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Baby chirped a series of noises which Jack interpreted as 'yes, he's adorable, and doesn't appear to be harmful, and can we keep him?' Jack laughed a bit, knowing that Baby had pretty much read his mind. Getting down onto his hands and knees, Jack carefully crept closer to the little thing, pausing every time the creature flinched and huddling in on itself. It took a few tries to get close enough, Jack having to back off every time the shaking got so bad the poor thing was chattering away like a party noisemaker. It took a good, solid dozen tries to finally coax the little guy into Jack's hands. The little thing was bigger than Baby, requiring two hands to hold, and much heavier obviously being made of rock, but he was as smooth and cool as Jack expected. The small limbs made slight scraping noises with every movement, as the rocks that comprised them rubbed together, although Jack couldn't see anything holding them in place save magic. He grinned at the little guy, probably showing way too much teeth to be socially correct, but sue him, he was thrilled. For his part, the creature Jack decided to call the 'Rockling ,' for lack of a better term, merely nodded, head bobbing up and down in a way that Jack took to be friendly.

"Hey there little dude! Can you understand me?" The Rockling paused uncertain, head cocked to the side a bit, before the nodding commenced again. Jack took this to mean that yeah, he did. "Awesome! My name's Jack Frost, I'm a winter elemental. I'm Walking the Road so I can bring my dead friend back." Jack was forced to pause here momentarily as his breath caught oddly in his throat on the last sentence. "And this..." he continued once he'd recovered, gesturing with a shrugged shoulder to Baby who was hovering to his left, "is Baby, she's my buddy in all things marvelous and Quest-like." Baby made a little trill that sounded victorious, zooming in a hasty circle around Jack's head as if to show off her flying prowess. The Rockling cocked his head again, observing, then began nodding a bit more enthusiastically. So, it seemed the little thing couldn't speak, although it obviously communicated otherwise. Jack had suspected as much since it didn't have a mouth, but then again it didn't have ears either and seemed to hear just fine. Jack grinned again, so happy his face could split. How cool was this guy! Living rock and all! "Hey, were you the one that was watching us, then?" The Rockling's nodding increased, which Jack took as a yes. "What, fascinated by the visitors?" Jack teased lightly, hoping that strange little rock-people had senses of humour. The Rockling abruptly stopped nodding, and squirmed, pushing at Jack's hands in a way that told the Guardian he wanted to be let down. Jack frowned, crestfallen, hoping he hadn't offended his new friend, but he placed the Rockling gently on the ground in front of him, anyways. He wasn't about to hold the poor thing hostage if it'd had enough of Jack and his big mouth. The Rockling climbed clumsily from Jack's hands to the ground, using Jack's fingers to help balance himself until he got upright. Jack couldn't' blame him, with a head so large compared to his body, he was probably terribly unbalanced. Once settling firmly onto his feet, the Rockling pushed Jack's hands away. Jack withdrew and stood, expecting the creature to beat a hasty retreat. Instead, the creature toddled forward, until he was right beside Jack's left foot, resting his tiny stone hands on the improvised sleeve-bandages. He patted the knotted fabric twice, gazing meaningfully up at Jack the whole time. It didn't take long for it to click in, and when it did Jack felt an uncontrollable well of joy in his chest.

"You mean... You saw that I was hurt, and followed? Were you trying to make sure I was okay?" The creature began nodding again, quicker than ever before. Jack felt the prickle of happy tears at the corners of his eyes. Sure, he had friends now, but he that didn't mean the compassion of a stranger didn't still move him. He also knew loneliness when he saw it, and this shy, sweet little guy was as lonely as they came. Quickly brushing the forming tears away and ignoring Baby's concerned chirp, he crouched down again to bring himself back to the Rockling's eye level. The little being didn't flinch at all this time, just meeting and holding Jack's gaze with black eyes that couldn't blink. "Did you maybe want to come with us? I mean, I understand if this is your home and you don't want to leave, and honestly, I don't know where we're going other than to see the Oracle, or even if we'll make it, and we'll likely never be back if we do, but if you think you want to..." Jack trailed off, and so did Baby who'd begun chittering in agreement. The Rockling was staring up; nodding so hard that his poor head looked like it might just come flying clean off of his stony shoulders. Helpless against the building smile, Jack scooped the little guy up in to his arms, settling him into the crook of his right elbow at first, until, prompted by the squirming and failed climbing attempts, he nudged his new friend up onto his shoulder. The Rockling immediately settled in, snuggling into the curve of Jack's neck and resting his small head against Jack's ear. Not to be left out, Baby took up position on Jack's other side, and yeah, he wasn't wrong, she was definitely getting bigger. Pushing down a flare of worry at the ramifications of this, Jack gathered his staff and strode on, ready to get to know his new friend.

"_So, what's your favorite colour?" Jack was flopped on his stomach, chin propped on his hands, eyeballing Bunny as he carefully painted another egg. It had been nearly a year since the disastrous Easter when Jack and became a Guardian, and he's been steadily settling into his new role and new friendships ever since. Bunny had been the slowest to come around, but considering Jack hadn't made it easy for him, he was surprised he'd come around at all. Since that first day though, they'd made leaps and bound in getting to know eachother. "I mean, you paint using ever colour ever, but you must have a favorite. What is it, red like the roses you grow? Yellow, like sunlight?" Jack grinned playfully, rolling over until he was on his back, head tipped so he could still watch the other Guardian work. "Come on Bunny, throw a dude a bone over here." Bunny snorted in amusement at Jack's antics, and the frost spirit as thrilled, knowing that just a few short months ago Bunny would have been ignoring him, and a few months before that Bunny would have been cursing and chucking him out on his arse for daring to even enter the Warren, much less tease the guy who owned it. This was much preferably to either of those options; this friendly, teasing banter back and forth, the comfortable give and take they were slowly learning to navigate. "Come ooooooon Bunny, please?" Jack offered his very best doe-eyes up for Bunny's enjoyment, knowing the other got a kick out of Jack's pleading._

"_Alright, you menace, you really wanna know?" Jack whooped, practically shooting off the ground and flipping over till he was sitting upright on his knees, bouncing with excitement._

"_Well duh! So, what is it? What's your favorite colour?" Bunny laughed good-naturedly at Jack's easy joy, his open, youthful face so earnest and eager. When he stopped laughing, he looked at Jack, really, truly looked, making direct eye contact and holding it as he spoke._

"_It's blue, mate. Always has been." Jack couldn't fight the growing smile at Bunny's sincerity as their gazes held, nor could he ignore the butterflies that had suddenly taken up residence in his tummy. Jack hadn't told Bunny then, and maybe never would, but he'd always fancied green, himself._

"Annnnd, I spy with my little eye, something that is grey." Against his neck, he could practically feel the force of Baby's eye roll as she chattered her answer, pecking at his ear for good measure. "You're right Baby! It's the Rockling! How'd you guess?" Ok, so eye-spy in a landscape that consisted entirely of stone wasn't his best idea, but the ridiculousness of it had at least kept both Baby and their new friend amused for the last few minutes. At least, he assumed the Rockling was amused; he didn't appear to be shaking and chattering in distress like he had previously, instead he'd cuddled so close to the side of Jack's neck that Jack could feel his cool stone body, nodding almost constantly in response to his and Baby's banter, curled up tight beside his ear. He was glad the little dude was settling in, getting more comfortable. He only hoped the new addition didn't wind up regretting his decision to join them. All in all though, making a new friend was far preferable to being set upon by an oversized ten-legged freak show. Jack wondered idly if sometime with ten legs and a bunny body was still classified as an arachnid, before deciding that he really didn't want to think about it. Suppressing a shudder of disgust, so as not to upset and confuse him companions, Jack also fought back a wince as his next step was onto uneven, jagged rock. He hadn't said anything, and so far the others hadn't noticed, but he'd felt his feet start to bleed again a few minutes ago. He wasn't sure if he'd soaked through the impromptu bandages yet, but looking to check would draw the other's attention to the problem, and he didn't want to worry them. Honestly, Jack was worried enough for the whole trio himself, he didn't need to be dragging the others down too. The truth was though, they'd been days in this new world with no sign of an exit, no other indigenous life forms save the Rockling, and it had Jack on edge. Add to it the raw, bloody feet and the fact that his back was still sore, long after it should have healed, only exacerbated matters. Also, there was the fact that every time Jack blinked it appeared that Baby was still growing. He'd estimate that she was well past double her original size, and likely nearing three times, if he was honest. She didn't appear to have noticed, or if she had she'd been keeping mum, but that scared Jack too, more than he was willing to admit. There was so much about this place that they didn't know, didn't understand, What if something was seriously wrong with her, and Jack had no way of knowing, of helping? He'd never forgive himself if she'd followed him here and then wound up hurt, or worse, dead. Swallowing down a throat suddenly tight with fear, Jack vowed to keep the smile pasted on; whatever it took, he'd take care of his friends, and that meant shouldering the burden of the growing worry and concern, so as not to trouble them. Right now, all they needed to do was stay as they were, happily perched on Jack's shoulders.

"Ouch! Geeze Baby, you don't have to jab me with your beak to get my attention!" Jack rubbed at the top of his ear, knowing he probably had a little red mark from the aforementioned beak. "Keep that up and I'll have no ear left, you little shoulder devil you!" Baby tweeted her laughter, bright and cheerful, and on the other side the Rockling was nodding into his neck again in the way that Jack was positive meant he was happy, if the little spike of joy he felt off him was any indication. "Man, I guess that makes you my shoulder angel." Jack said playfully, gently shrugging the shoulder in question and making the small stone body bounce into his neck. The Rockling steadied itself with his hands, two cool little points of pressure on Jack's neck, and Jack couldn't fight the smile back. Shoulder angels and devils, indeed! "Hey, you know what we should do? We should help you pick a name, little buddy. I can't keep calling you 'dude' and 'little guy' all the time." The Rockling paused for a moment, and then nodded against Jack's ear. Jack was starting to learn that nodding conveyed agreement, or a positive response. The faster the nod, to more excited or sincere the creature was being. A total lack of movement however, was generally negative. Shaking, which resulted in a chattering noise, was obviously fearful, as the earlier display had demonstrated. Hopefully Jack would never see his new friend in that position ever again! "Ok, so, how about Rocky?" Baby groaned into his ear and Jack laughed. He was mostly joking anyways, and totally wasn't surprised by the complete stillness of the Rockling on his shoulder. "No? Man, tough crowd. Okay, how about Bob? Hank? Will? Wait, you're a rock; do you even do the whole male and female thing? Should I be looking for girl names, or unisex even?" The complete stillness on his shoulder told him all he needed to know about the latest string of name suggestions. Until the last question at least, when the creature began nodding, slowly. "Ooookay, was that a yes to the unisex?" Complete stillness from Jack's shoulder. "Ok, girl names?" The stillness continued. "So you are a boy after all, I wasn't being totally ignorant and insulting." The small figure began nodding, rocky body rubbing smoothly against Jack's cheek at the motion. "Awesome! Dude names it is! Have any suggestions, Baby?" Baby chirped a bit, making a couple of suggestions for more exotic male names, which were all systematically shut down by the very still little Rockling. When she gave up, Jack picked it up again. They alternated back and forth, each suggestion getting more and more ridiculous, and still not impressing their friend. Finally Jack gave up, huffing a laugh and grateful at least that the whole exercise had killed a couple hours of time.

"Aw man, tiny guy, I'm almost out of ideas! How about you, Baby?" Baby chattered an agreement from Jack's other shoulder. "Y'know with your habits and all, I should probably just call you Noddwyn or something. I think that's an actual name back home... What do you think Baby, appropriate?" Baby tittered a happy laugh, agreeing. Jack had meant to have a friendly tease of their stony buddy, but was utterly surprised when the careful, hesitant nodding began. "Wait, you mean... You actually like it?" The nodding increased, faster and faster till the small body was almost vibrating against Jack's neck, the swiftly moving rocks grinding together making a noise not entirely unlike a cat purring. Grinning like a madman, Jack felt himself nod along. "Alright then, Noddwyn it is!" Baby chirruped happily as Jack raised one finger, slowly stroking down along the back of his newly christened friend's head. Noddwyn pushed back into the affectionate gesture, continuing his low, rumbling purr. For a moment, Jack was able to forget everything, forget Bunny's loss, forget his physical pain, forget where they were and the danger they were in. Everything narrowed to this; the intrepid trio, smiling and laughing in the pale light of dawn.

Jack had only a second to process the flash of movement out of the corner of his eye before something large and incredibly heavy slammed into him, throwing him head over tail clear across a stand of rocks twice his height. He hurtles into the ground at breakneck speed, immediately greying out from the wracking agony. His back is alight with it, his ribs feel almost mushy along one side, his head is throbbing in time with his heartbeat from hitting the ground, and forget his feet Jack is now bleeding sluggishly from half a dozen scrapes all over. He realizes vaguely after a moment that the pathetic keening noise he can hear is himself; struggling to draw air into lungs that might very well be punctured. He pants for a second, trying to breathe through the pain with only a modicum of success, considering his current troubles breathing, period. In the middle distance he can hear more deafening crashes, each one shaking the ground beneath him. Above it all, he can hear a high-pitched, panicked cheeping, and a chattering sound so quick it's slowly becoming a hum. It takes him a couple long moments, woozy as he is, to place the sounds, but when he does it makes Jack's already chilly blood turn icy in his veins.

Jack's friends are in trouble.

Jack's friends are in trouble, facing down an unknown enemy, and he's flopping about uselessly on the ground like a fish on dry land. Steeling himself, Jack turns his head slowly, left and right, ignoring the way the world swims sickeningly before his eyes at the motion. There, to the right, his staff, mercifully unbroken. Jack stretches out his right arm, gritting his teeth against a fresh wave of misery. Then he stares bewildered as his hand falls two feet short. Behind him, out of sight, another great crash rocks the earth, and Baby's frantic twittering increases. Jack's completely lost track of Noddwyn's scared chatter in his distraction. Unacceptable. Jack clenches his jaw against the protests of his aching body and raises his other hand to his devastated ribcage. Dammit, the thing was practically shattered; it felt almost like jelly under his hands. Ignoring the knife-like sensation shooting through his torso, Jack held the hand firm, reaching inside him for the trickle of power that was always there. Put his staff in his hand and the trickle became a deluge, but for now this would have to do. It takes a couple tries, wasting precious time, but Jack is eventually able to ice the ribs steady enough to move without further damaging himself. Gasping, Jack finds it easier to breathe, which means he did in fact have a punctured lung, one which was now sealed by the ice. Actually getting oxygen helps a lot, as does the fact that with his ribs immobilized, the raw edges aren't rubbing so much and sending bright sparks of sensations though his limbs. It's not much of an improvement, but it's enough to get him rolled onto his stomach and army-crawling toward his staff. He kicks at the ground with his shredded feet, and hauls himself forward with weakened arms, until finally his staff is in grabbing range. The moment his fingers close over the familiar wood, Jack strengthens the ice along his ribs, also using it to patch the bloody gash in his scalp. He makes it to his feet only with the help of the wind, which, while not the wind he's used to has certainly seemed friendly enough. It takes a minute for the world to stop reeling, a minute Baby and Noddwyn don't have, but then Jack is airborne, sailing toward the sound of battle, which had steadily been moving away from him.

Jack's vision is fuzzy around the edges, but he finds them easily enough. Baby is playing a deadly game of tag with a creature that, unsurprisingly, looks like Noddwyn's big, bad, ugly cousin. The rock creature is huge; about the the size of Jaime's house back on earth if Jack were to guess. Three main rocks make the body, the topmost one being slightly smaller. Four powerful limbs made of magically interconnected rocks flail about, swinging madly at a darting, weaving mini fairy. The arms of the thing were quick, but nowhere near a match for Baby, and she ducks and dodges and taunts him, leading him away from where Jack had fallen. Her attempts at attacking however are ineffective; for all its animation, the creature is still made of solid stone and just as impervious; with a quartet of beady black eyes glaring hatefully at what is essentially a tiny colourful nuisance. On the ground behind the creature, Jack sees a flash of grey and suddenly there's Noddwyn. The Rockling is catching any pebble he can find between the two rocks that serve as his hands, and chucking them full-force at the attacking behemoth. To his credit he's got a pretty fantastic arm for a little thing, but the fact of the matter is that he's David throwing pebbles at Goliath; only this time there doesn't appear to be a convenient weak point to exploit. No miracle victory, just two friends hopelessly outmatched, trying desperately to protect Jack the only way they could; by distracting their enemy and keeping it away from him. Jack has a moment of blind, heart-stopping love for his precious ones, and then he thinks of another, of one he'd cherished even more. If Jack fails here, Bunny stays lost, forever.

Failure is not an option.

"_Checkmate." Jack frowns at Bunny's words, glaring down at the board like it had personally ruined his day._

"_Again? How could you win again?" Jack rests his chin on his folded arms, pouting childishly at the white and black figures scattered across the board. "This game sucks. Or maybe, I just suck at it."_

"_This game 'sucks,'" Bunny said in such a way that Jack could totally hear the air quotes, "because you're failing to do the most important thing." Jack lifted his head to direct his scowl at the new object of his ire._

"_And what's that, oh wise guru of all things chess-related?" Bunny sighed in a way that was vaguely put-upon, his standard reaction to Jack when he was deliberately being and irritating brat. _

"_You're not reading the game, Jack. You need to think ahead; know your enemy, and plot your moves based on how they will react." Jack huffed out a frustrated groan as Bunny began to set the board up for another game. He knew he'd play though, without even entertaining the thought of leaving. Any time spent with Bunny was worth it, even if it meant he was getting pulverised by an imaginary army, repeatedly. Regarding the board, Jack moved one pawn forward, determined to think a little deeper, this time. Let the game begin; come hell or high water Jack would learn what Bunny was trying to teach him._

"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man."  
― Heraclitus


	4. The Perplexing Quarry, part II

Recommended listening for this chapter:

4) The Quarry:

Skrillex – First of the Year (Equinox)

* * *

We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.  
- Kenji Miyazawa

Any other day, Jack would have long since launched himself into the fray. Beaten and bloodied as he was at the moment however, that wasn't exactly an option. Instead, Jack watched, perched on top of the highest point around, and leaning heavily onto his staff to stay upright. It was difficult to calm himself, to tell himself that Baby and Noddwyn were okay, and would be okay for the next few minutes, and that the best way to help was by thinking up and executing a flawless plan, but he did it anyway. Jack hated the waiting, the anxiety, the anticipation, but it was his headstrong foolish pride that had gotten them into this mess in the first place. If Jack had been paying better attention, Bunny would never have had too... Jack shook his head, moaning and clenching his eyes shut when the motion made the world take a slow, lazy spin around him. Looks like a concussion could be added to the list of injuries he was currently struggling with. Returning his attention to the fight before him, Jack forced his muddled thoughts to calm as best he could past the pounding ache in his temples. The Rockmonster was large as a house sure, and his limbs could move as quick as a whip once they got momentum, but he was slow to re-orient every time Baby changed direction. He was in essence clumsy; if one could stay moving for long enough, it'd never manage to hit you. Move as slowly and inattentively as Jack had been earlier, and you were a sitting duck. Unfortunately, that little observation didn't help Jack, who was too injured to move that fast, even with the wind helping him. He'd need a way to halt the thing in its tracks and make a quick getaway. Maybe if he froze the legs to the ground... No, they were too strong and too heavy for that to work. He'd have to freeze the whole creature solid, and he didn't trust his ice to hold out that long, not when he was working in such a weakened condition. Perhaps they could take it out a rock at a time? Deconstruct the thing down to the individual boulders, and hope it stayed that way. That idea was no sooner thought then thwarted when, with a rumbling roar, the monster called nearby standing rocks into motion. As if they too lived, four rocks rolled closer to the action, and the whirling arms lowered just long enough to 'collect' the new additions, lengthening each limb by another couple feet. It still didn't allow the monster to hit Baby, but the extended reach meant that she was working harder to evade being hit. No, taking it apart wouldn't work, not when it could so easily put itself back together again.

The answer came so suddenly that Jack groaned at his own stupidity, knocking his head against his staff in frustration, and then hissing at the sharp stab of pain in his skull. Oh yeah, head wound, no wonder he was slower than a herd of turtles stampeding uphill through molasses in January right now. Well, he had a plan that would work at least, assuming he could get the necessary burst of speed required. Jack snuck his way as carefully as a flying teenager could around in a circle until he was perched on the lower rocks, behind the creature and as close as he could get to Noddwyn, who was mostly being ignored in favour of the annoyance that Baby was making of herself. Jack hissed down to the Rockling, catching his attention and making a few broad gestures, hoping he understood. Noddwyn paused, then nodded, stepping back to give Jack room to work. With a grim smile, Jack leaned forward, and carefully iced the entire ground surface in the clearing between the canyon's cavernous walls. Baby must've caught sight of him and figured it out, for suddenly she was chirping with renewed determination and flying a bit further out, coaxing the lumbering giant into taking a single step onto the suddenly-treacherous surface.

Well, lookie that, the bigger they are, the harder they certainly do fall! Jack couldn't stop from crowing in victory, ignoring the way the loud burst of sound seemed to rattle around inside his head, setting of bright starbursts of pain in its wake. The Rockmonster hits the ground a with crash so incredible both ice and stone buckle beneath it, one entire arm disconnecting to flop and roll harmlessly across the ice in the wrong direction. Sunk almost halfway into the stony ground and down a limb, the creature struggles to right itself. But, like a turtle stranded on its back, it lacks the coordination necessary to do so. Jack Jumps down, scooping up Noddwyn in his free hand. He takes a quick second to ice the creature further, pinning its arms and legs to the ground like a frozen statue. It won't hold for long, but Jack intends to be far, far away by the time it figures out how to get back to its feet. Jack then ices a path away, through a narrow ravine and slightly downhill, skating along as fast as possible. Baby is right over his head the whole way, cheeping directions for the best route using her overhead view, to keep him from any dead ends. As they had discovered over their time traversing this landscape, the rock piles and steep canyon walls formed a veritable maze, and now was not the time to be getting lost. Jack's head was swimming; dizzy with pain and loss of blood, he hurt everywhere. He wanted nothing more to stop until the everything decided to stand still again, but in the far distance he heard the racket of the creature's continued struggles, and realized he couldn't stop as long as there was a possibly of it getting back to its feet. Another burst of panicked adrenaline allowed him to stay upright and keep moving; he was here with his friends and they were unharmed, but that could change any moment if he didn't put more distance between them and the angry thing behind them. Jack carried on, top speed, even when both Baby began to twitter that they were safe, that they could slow down. Noddwyn joined in soon too, making a low grinding noise that Jack guessed was displeasure. He didn't slow down though; he couldn't fathom ever slowing down, and he didn't care if this was cheating. The Road and its rules could go hang for a minute, until Jack had got his friends to safety. He might've loved Bunny above all others, but he wasn't about to trade any of his friends for another, he didn't work like that. They'd come so close, his moment of inattention costing them dearly. If he hadn't had let go, if he hadn't have forgotten his mission, forgotten BUNNY, if he'd ignored his selfish, base desire to HAVE FUN...

Jack tripped over a rock he'd missed, sprawling face-first onto the ice and dirt, which made his body light up once again in an agony so great he couldn't choke down his hoarse, raw cry. Noddwyn chattered from beneath him, clambering out from under Jack's broken body to poke gently at his face. He seemed to be inspecting Jack's injuries based on his unhappy grinding and the slow exploration of every bit of Jack that hurt. Adrenaline and purpose fading, Jack found himself utterly wrecked and unable to move beyond a weak shuffling in the dirt. He quickly found himself forced to submit to Noddwyn and Baby's attentions, the former grinding away and the latter clucking in worry and disapproval. Jack felt his eyelids being to droop, but he couldn't rest, not here, not yet. He didn't appear to have a choice though being so utterly drained. Slowly, slowly he slipped into blackness, two small, gentle pairs of hands soothing him the whole way.

"_Watch out, Sandy!" Jack hollers, ducking under a flailing sharp-edged weapon. Sandy does the same, giving Jack a quick thank-you grin. The creatures they were fighting had three legs, but only one long, pendulous arm with which to attack. Unfortunately, despite that they were eerily talented at swinging the long, scythe-like weapons they favored. Tooth had already lost some plumage to them, and North had suffered a giant slice through his favorite coat. Not like that would stop the Guardians from fighting them or anything, but it had been made abundantly clear to all of them that the stakes were high. Jack swung his staff again, sending another flare of frost into an advancing quartet of big, mean and ugly's. His time with the Guardians had honed his fighting skills, and his newfound belief base had given him extra oomph to back it up. He hit harder, faster and better than ever before; and combined with the teamwork of the rest of his friends it showed. The enemy was falling in droves, bodies melting into a sticky, oozing muck at the moment of death. They had them pinned down and on the run, and it was only a matter of time before the Guardians were victorious. That was when things went wrong._

_Jack could already taste their victory, feel it singing in his veins. Looking back, he knows it made him sloppy, made him cocky. Jack knocks down the last of the enemy, and turns to find Bunny, a smile on his lips, but he was wrong; there was one more, one fallen but not dead, who then lunges up in a desperate, last ditch effort. Jack feels only the pressure of Bunny's paws on his shoulders, shoving him down into the ichors and mud before the weight of the Pooka's body is collapsed above his own. Jack can hear the others still fighting in the distance, but only has eyes for both the enemy; who has collapsed in true death now, boomerang embedded in its rapidly disintegrating skull, and Bunny. Bunny who is still sprawled unmoving on Jack's chest and bleeding profusely; too much wet warmth seeping from his gut onto Jack's prone form. Bunny who was hit from behind so hard at a sweeping, horizontal angle that he has been nearly bisected by the blow; the blade only stopping when it lodged tight into the bone of the hip opposite where it entered. Above him Bunny groans in pain; the sound wet and gurgling with the blood filling his friend's lungs, and it is all Jack can do to suppress his rapidly rising hysteria. As carefully as possible, Jack manoeuvres his friend onto his back, snapping the blade off the handle to do so, knowing that removing it entirely will only make the blood flow harder, faster. It's all an exercise in futility though; for all they are immortal and difficult to so much as injure, a wound like this cannot be survived, not for all the healing or belief in the world. There are no miracles for beings like them, and no gods that they can pray to for mercy; Jack knows this well, for it was Bunny who taught him. For only a second, Jack and Bunny's eyes meet, and Jack see's the truth there, see's the acceptance of what is to come and it drives him cold and icy inside in a way he's never felt before. The finality of it all hits Jack like he's the one bleeding out on the filthy ground, and Jack blinks hard to hide the tears. Instead, Jack smiles for his best friend for the last time, reaching to take his hand._

Twice, Jack feels himself trying to surface, but each time, opening his eyes and moving his limbs makes him feel like he's treading water in Jello. Each time though, he knows he's not alone, and can hear both Baby and Noddwyn beside him, caring for him. He hates that he's making them worry, hates that he's too weak to even wake up properly, hates that he's the weak link holding them back. Without him being stupidly distracted, he'd have avoided being surprise-attacked, meaning he wouldn't have been injured, meaning they'd still be moving and not camped out here, waiting for Jack to pull himself back together. Jack drifts in an out, never quite fully cognizant of his surroundings, but aware enough that the anger festers, grows. Jack's been a hooligan most of his life; running rampant without authority or responsibility. It'd taken him some time to learn to work with the other Guardians; to adhere to a routine and hold himself accountable for his own actions, but finally succeeding had opened him up to the greatest friendships he knew he'd ever have, including Bunny. Bunny, who Jack had in a moment of mirth allowed himself to forget. Jack had a mission, a purpose here; this wasn't a pleasure cruise and Jack would not, could not be allowed to forget again

Failure was not acceptable.

It took some doing, but Jack finally dragged himself back into the world of the living. He'd been moved, or rather, flipped from his stomach to his back, and he couldn't help the flash of guilt that slid through him at the thought of what his significantly smaller friends would have gone through to do so. His cloak had been tucked around him, like a blanket, which Jack didn't actually require being immune to the cold, but the gesture didn't fail to make him humble with the love that the others had shown him. They'd obviously tended him as he slept as best they could, considering the limitations of both their size and the resources available to them. The moment his eyes were open, and stayed open, Jack was mobbed by two tiny bodies, both of them curling up on opposite sides of his face and snuggling him with relief. Or, not as tiny, as Baby had grown significantly in the time he'd slept. She was now more than half the size of Noddwyn. The Rockling himself didn't look to have changed physically; but when he snuggled himself against the side of Jack face and began to rumble in contentment, Jack realized that his small body was warm to the touch. Before, Noddwyn had been the ambient temperature any other rock would be; now, although still as stony as ever, the creature was as warm against Jack's skin as Baby. Add that to his increasing vocalizations and Jack realized, with a dawning sense of horror, that whatever was changing Baby was likely acting on his new friend, too. The thought that this place was acting on his loved ones in some inescapable and unknown way terrified Jack to his very core. Filled with renewed determination, Jack sat up, ignoring both Baby's alarmed cheeping and the twinge in his back. Jack did a hasty check of his ribs, which seemed to be mostly healed, if a bit tender. His head wound checked out the same, and his feet were intact again, although the former hoodie sleeves turned bandages were unsalvageable. It was his back that concerned him the most; even a shattered spine should have regenerated by now, why after all this time, did he continue to ache?

"How long was I out?" Jack asked, pushing himself to his feet, sweeping his staff up in one hand and Noddwyn in the other. Baby was already airborne and twittering away, trying to convince Jack to lay down, for a bit longer. He waved her off, repeating his question again until she relented and confirmed what he'd been suspecting; he'd been out of commission for an estimated two days. Jack felt the scowl settle onto his features, beyond furious at his own weakness. Two days, completely lost. Two days that Bunny had remained grave-bound and waiting. Two days was far too long. Jack was so far into his self-castigation, he nearly lost an eye as he went to move forward only to be met by the impenetrable force that was Baby. Frowning harder, Jack made to gently bat the fairy away.

"Geeze Baby, lighten up! Look, we've lost too much time; we need to get going if we want to..."

'To what, Jack, rush headlong toward your death?'

Jack blinked at the little fairy, moth open comically, temporarily stunned into a stupor. In the crook of his left arm, Noddwyn made a series of small clicking noises that Jack suspected was laughter. Probably laughter at him, if he at all cared to hazard a guess.

"Baby, since when do you speak?" Baby's voice was as high-pitched and thin as the birdlike noises she'd made before, that Jack had always been able to understand. Speaking actual words though, she sounded exactly like Jack always thought she would; somewhere halfway between a child and something older, something that gave her ethereal voice a layer of magic and wisdom.

'Since long before you cared enough to listen, Jack Frost!' Baby was angry, Jack could tell without even hearing it in her voice; her feathers were ruffled and her tiny face was set and grim. 'You would have died, Jack. Died and left us here like Bunny did.' Jack felt the weight of that right in the heart of him, like a sucker punch to the midsection.

"It wasn't Bunny's fault! He didn't choose to die!" Jack felt the rage flare, incandescent in his chest, but Baby kept going, ignorant of his helpless anger, Noddwyn nodding away in agreement in Jack's arms.

'Bunny chose to fight, as he always did, knowing what the price of failure is. He chose to stand by you, his kin, his friend, to lay down his life in protection of yours, the way any of our own would. You choose to be reckless! You choose to forget, to throw yourself away foolishly!'

"I CAN'T FORGET!" Jack yells the words, the scream torn from his with such force that Baby falls silent and Noddwyn halts, shocked. "I can't forget." Jack murmurs, quieter. "How could I, Baby? When he died for me? How could I ever? I came here for him, but then, that rock thing was all over you two, and I couldn't stop moving until I was sure, perfectly sure, that you would be okay. Baby, I can't... I mean, what else could I do, Baby? I couldn't lose you, either of you, too." The world seemed unnaturally, utterly still in the wake of his words, with not even a breeze to break the tension. Then, with a tense cry, Baby barrelled into Jack's chest, curling up in the fabric of his bloodstained hoodie, pressed between both Jack and Noddwyn, drawing comfort. Jack wrapped his arms around both, hugging his friends close, and wondering when the cold tears had begun to wet his cheeks. He wanted to tell them both that he loved them, that he missed Bunny, that he was angry at the other for leaving and angry with himself for not having fixed it yet, that his back still hurt, that Baby and Noddwyn were irrevocably altered and he didn't know why and it scared him, but the words would not come. The only thing that would was the tears; a sweet purge, one he'd denied himself so long. Sinking to his knees on the rough ground, Jack rocked his friends back and forth, holding them close while he let himself go.

"_You should still be resting." Jack paused, halfway out the window. It had been great at first; they'd defeated Pitch, Jack had taken the Guardian vows, and they'd flown the sleigh to the Pole to celebrate. The festivities hadn't lasted long though, before each one found themselves slipping away to rest. There was a lot of work left yet; they teeth had to be retrieved and returned, and the Warren had to be cleaned and repaired. They'd all agreed to tackle the aforementioned tasks tomorrow, but what was left of tonight was for resting and recovering their energies. It had been a long few days, especially for the others having experienced an almost cataclysmic loss of faith. Jack himself could certainly use a nights rest, he was still hurting from being chucked around like a ragdoll by the Nightmare King, and something deep inside was still smarting, even after having fixed his staff. He'd smiled and accepted North's hospitality when the man had offered his friends the use of various guest suites for the night, but he'd given up on actually sleeping after about five minutes. It had been three centuries since Jack had been indoors this long, and just as long since' he'd slept somewhere that was an actual bed, and not a snow bank or tree branch. Truth be told, Jack was far outside his comfort zone and chafing for the wide open sky. So, he'd made to bail, silently, hoping to return in time for breakfast so as not to offend his host. These new friendships were fragile; he didn't want to ruin them over something as stupid as his own ridiculous hang-ups. He'd thought he'd been pretty sneaky, carefully slipping out his door and down the hall to the window he'd sat in after Sandy had died. He'd rather have just snuck out straight from his room, but the window in there didn't open. This other one though had appeared to have a functional latch and hinges, so escape was a possibility at least. If this idea had failed, he'd probably have to lurk about until he found the front door, and that had too high a probability of being caught by one of the Yetis for his liking. Of course, he'd neglected to factor better-than-average giant lagomorph hearing into the equation. Jack cursed softly under his breath, unimpressed with his totally amateur mistake. Reluctantly he turned to face Bunny, plastering an ingratiating smile on his face for good effect._

"_Bunny! Fancy seeing you here, figured you'd be dead to the world by now." Jack's smile felt brittle and he found himself silently squaring his shoulders against the certain accusation. Instead of raising his voice, as Jack had expected, Bunny wandered over and casually ushered him out of the window, closing and latching it to keep out the biting cold. Jack wanted to fight back, waited to be given a reason to, but Bunny just settled himself onto the window seat, gesturing Jack to do the same. Jack relented, perching on the very edge, leaving as much space between him and Bunny as possible, uncomfortable with the thought of sitting any closer. Bunny, if he noticed, didn't appear to care. In fact he didn't even look directly at Jack, as if knowing too much direct attention right now would be enough to make the other bolt. _

"_I don't sleep very well indoors like this; too much wood and metal, not enough dirt and roots." Bunny speaks casually, as if discussing something innocuous like the weather. It's at odds with the way Jack is used to him speaking, which isn't unusual considering Bunny was usually yelling at Jack about something or another. _

"_And, you're telling me this why now?" Jack couldn't stop the sarcasm from creeping into his tone. To his credit, Bunny didn't even seem to be surprised._

"_Nick knows to give me a room with a big window, it helps. Big window's in this place means a balcony's attached; means fresh air, a bit of the outdoors right at hand. If he wasn't so done in, he'd probably have thought to do the same for you." Jack wanted to sneer, but there was something funny slowly tightening in his chest at Bunny's words. "If you wanted," the other male continued, "you could come and sleep there. It's obvious the cold and wind won't bug yah, if you felt like being under the sky and all." Jack couldn't breathe, couldn't make a sound, afraid that only and embarrassing keening noise might come out f he tried. He wanted to accept, did he ever, but he also wanted to refuse on general principle, because who did the rabbit think he was, showing up here and knowing exactly what Jack needed, anyways? Bunny must've taken his stunned silence in the negative, because he'd risen and moved to leave, without so much as a muttered farewell. Jack couldn't blame him, knowing it was ruder than even sneaking out to not have even thanked Bunny for the offer, but his throat was still in knots. Instead, Jack hurried to Bunny's side, following the other back to his room, and out onto the proffered balcony. _

"_Try and rest, alright kiddo? You had a few knocks today, and even the boost from your believers won't be good enough ta fix you up 'til you've had a proper night's sleep."_

_Jack nodded blindly, suddenly feeling far more tired than he had even fifteen minutes previous, as if the promise of a safe place to crash had set a spell of slumber over him. He allowed the other to let him out, but Bunny had to latch the window behind him to keep it closed and the room warm enough for him. It didn't even occur to Jack until he'd had a good, long sleep curled in a soft pile of snow to be mistrustful or wary that Bunny wouldn't let him back in. He'd hesitated a moment then, before knocking, wondering if this was where everything would fall apart, but he didn't have time to dwell because Bunny beat him to the knock, opening the door with a look so satisfied that Jack didn't fully understand it._

They set out on their trek again once the tears are exhausted. Jack doesn't think he has it in him to disappoint Baby a second time, so they do so at a normal, standard pace. Jack had planned to see how far he could push his luck with skating, but as Baby had ever-so helpfully pointed out, it could be considered cheating and it was a wasteful use of his powers. Jack didn't have the support of his believers out here, and while he wasn't suffering any negative physiological effects like the other Guardians had during the last fight with Pitch, he also wasn't a fraction as strong as he'd grown used to, as evidenced by his earlier collapse. He'd argued half-heartedly, but had given up when Noddwyn had joined in, body grating and vibrating in Jack's arms in a way that was clearly disapproving. In deference to Baby's concern, Jack had allowed her to check him over again, head to toe. He'd even swallowed his pride and admitted to the continued pain in his back. As expected, both Baby and Noddwyn had thoroughly inspected every inch of Jack's spine, but other than a bit of swelling and persistent bruising between his shoulder blades, they hadn't found anything. Choking down his unease, Jack had forced a smile and tucked Noddwyn up onto his shoulder, as before. Baby had declined the ride however, choosing instead to fly and help keep a lookout. Jack couldn't say for sure, and he didn't want to upset Baby by asking, but he figured that she was probably feeling guilty about her own distraction allowing Jack to be injured. Knowing it was the best way to handle the situation, he accepted her aid for the apology it was and said no more on it. It was less than half a day later, by Jack's crude estimation, that the rocks began to shrink, and more and more sand began to take up residence under Jack's feet. Jack felt a thrill of fear shoot through him as he realized what was happening. Praying to any deity that might listen, Jack hoped beyond hope that he was wrong.

He wasn't.

Only a short time later, the rocks disappeared completely, giving way to a wide expanse of sand dunes as far as the eyes could see. Jack and his friends had just walked themselves straight into a desert, with nary an end to be found.

"_You alright there, snowflake?" Jack jumped, startled to hear Bunny's voice to close behind him. He'd been distracted, back turned toward the door as he huddled in a corner of the garden, rubbing a rapidly melting snowball all over his face in an attempt to cool down._

"_Bunny! Give a guy a heart attack why don't you!" Jack grinned as carelessly as he could manage trying to hide the snowball behind his back, but Bunny's serious expression and lack of laughter told him that he'd been caught out. "I was just on my way in... Did you need something?" Jack asked, trying to play it as casual as possible. _

"_You could start by telling me you're alright." Bunny's hands had moved to his hips, and he had his 'serious business' face on. Jack offered the other the most reassuring smile he had._

"_I'm fine!" Jack chirped, but Bunny wasn't letting it slide._

"_Honestly mate, if the heat is getting to yah, we can vamoose, no feelings hurt." Jack shook his head, ruefully._

"_No Bunny, its fine. I'm fine promise. It's hot, yes, and I needed a bit of a breather, but it's also humid." Jack summoned another snowball from the moisture in the air and nibbled at it to help wet his dry throat, crunching the icy bits for good effect. "As long as there is some moisture in the air, I'll be fine. I can keep myself cool by frosting my skin and letting it melt, kind of like humans sweat. It's dry heat that's dangerous. Desert's are kind of a no-go, for that reason." Jack laughed lightly and Bunny seemed satisfied, slowly allowing himself to relax._

"_Y'know kiddo, the arctic tundra's a desert, too." Jack barked a laugh, rolling his eyes._

"_Only based on average precipitation levels! There's tons of ambient water in the snow that's sort of permanently EVERYWHERE! Also, it's cold, so even if it was in fact bone dry, there'd be no issue." Bunny chuckled at Jack, pleased as he always was whenever Jack said something that proved him to be clever, and 'not just a hat-rack,' as the Pooka was fond of saying. For that reason alone, Jack had taken to sitting in on university lectures and skimming the reference sections of every library he could find. Jack was no dummy; he'd just not been very well read, before Bunny had encouraged him otherwise. Now, finding himself saying things like 'average precipitation levels' wasn't unheard of. It made Jack feel... better, about himself, more confident, knowing that he wasn't the total moron a lot of spirits had assumed he was based solely on his happy-go-lucky attitude. Apparently, some people thought that smart and playful couldn't co-exist. Jack pitied them; he figured that since they fancied themselves so smart, they must've all been very boring people. More importantly then their opinions though, was what the Guardians thought. Although Jack had never told anyone, he could admit that it made him feel fantastic, having the knowledge that all the Guardians, especially Bunny, trusted him to hold his own intellectually, not just physically. Sometimes, Jack swore that they're belief in him did more to nurture and encourage him than the belief of a thousand children ever could, and it was Jack's intent to never give them reason to stop._

"Whither will my path yet lead me? This path is stupid, it goes in spirals, perhaps in circles, but whichever way it goes, I will follow it."  
― Hermann Hesse


	5. The Daunting Desert

May not post next Wednesday due to Christmas. Also, I apologize for nothing. :)

6) The Desert: The Tea Party – Samsara

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"Never stop just because you feel defeated. The journey to the other side is attainable only after great suffering."  
― Santosh Kalwar

"Soooooooo, I spy with my little eye, something that is big, sandy and dry!" Jack forced a grin, but his companions could tell by the tone of his voice alone that any cheer he displayed was a lie. "Yeah, I guess that joke wasn't any funnier than the last time..." Smile faltering, Jack groaned, frustrated. Of course it was a desert; the one thing that could kill him just by existing in the same space that Jack was occupying. Back on Earth, Jack had just been reaching a point where with his belief base steadily growing, he could cross a desert without breaking too much of a sweat, both literally and figuratively. Here, without the extra boost from his believers, he didn't have a hope in Hades. The vast stretch of sand seemed endless and the sun blazed overhead, hot enough to begin to make Jack uncomfortable just standing still. If this landscape held true to the others, Jack was willing to bet that the sun would be stuck at high noon permanently, which meant that burying himself in the sand and sleeping during the day so as to travel in the coolness of the night would be impossible. Using his ice to 'skate' across wouldn't work, either, as he was still feeling slightly worn from his previous encounters, and with the humidity level non-existent, Jack would be forced to use his own moisture to summon ice. Considering how worn down he already was he'd get about 100 feet before he collapsed of dehydration. Which in his case, meant he'd likely evaporate into nothing or something else equally undesirable. Totally not how he wanted to spend his last minutes on earth, thankyouverymuch. Despite his fear of cheating, Jack found himself calling to the wind for a lift almost on reflex. No wind answered the call however, which didn't actually surprise him. Only certain, cooler winds, like the North Wind on Earth, would answer the summons of a winter elemental. The hotter desert winds spoke a different language entirely, and Jack would have easier luck counting the grains of sand beneath his feet than getting a desert wind to carry him. Resigned, Jack made to continue on foot, waving off Baby's concerned tweeting. He knew the risks, but the reality was there was only one way forward, and he said as much to the concerned mother hen clucking away by his left ear. Baby twittered again, and Jack was sure he heard her mumble something about 'stubborn idiots' before she took to the sky, flying so high that she was nearly invisible in the glare of the sun. She stayed up for a long time, before descending to tell Jack and Noddwyn that she was unable to see an end, in any direction save of course they one they'd just come from. Jack nodded, not surprised in the slightest. Given how long it had taken to cross the other landscapes, they would be several days in the desert, which meant that the edge could in fact be beyond sight. Steeling himself, Jack made to pick up the pace, when Noddwyn began squirming and grating in a clear indication that he wanted to be let down. Jack obliged, setting the small creature down onto the sand. Noddwyn swayed for a second, struggling to keep his balance on the shifting surface. Jack reached to steady him, but the Rockling pushed his hands away, falling deliberating to his knees, tiny fingerless hands going out to steady himself. Jack made to help the little guy up, but Noddyn began nodding slowly. He shifted, hands sinking deeper; then what passed as his shoulders started to roll, making a rhythmic scraping noise. After a few seconds of churning, Noddwyn stopped and carefully pushed himself to his feet, allowing Jack to lift him back to his perch. One comfortably situated, he pointed one hand in south-westerly direction. Well, south-westerly if you assumed that the rocky landscape was north and they'd been moving due south all along. Jack blinked, turning the information over in his head.

"You know it's that way? For sure?" Noddwyn nodded furiously, making the same scraping noise he'd made while sitting in the sand. "But, how? Did the sand tell you or something? OW!" Jack flinched as Baby landed on his other shoulder, pecking his ear in irritation as she did.

'Was sand not rock once, Jack?' She said, in the same lilting voice Jack was still astonished by. Jack thought about it for a minute, and then frosted in embarrassment.

"Sorry Nodd, I should have thought of that. I guess the sand really did tell you, huh?" Noddwyn kept nodding, the scraping settling into the happier 'purring' noise. Laughing, Jack set forth again, feeling cheered. Oh sure, the sun was relentless, he was already uncomfortable in the heat, even with his hood pulled up to protect his head and face. On top of that, he was still sore and tender between his shoulder blades and was covered in his own dried blood, but he had his friends with him and a direction to walk, things could always be worse.

Only, it didn't take long before Jack started to realize that things couldn't actually get any worse. They'd been in the desert less than a day, and Jack was already feeling his strength beginning to flag. It had started in small ways; first, he'd stopped talking, reserving his energy to keep moving forward. Then, he'd begun to slow a little, step by step. He was less striding and more plodding now and he knew the others had noticed. Baby hadn't said anything yet, but was hovering closer and closer, and he could practically feel the worry radiating off of Noddwyn, who'd stopped nodding and purring a while back, his silence and stillness telling. Jack winced as another step onto the burning sands scalded his feet further, and he wished he'd been clever enough to hold on to the tattered sleeves he'd used as bandages. Finally giving in, Jack stopped, letting Noddwyn down to check their trajectory and ensure they hadn't drifted in the wrong direction. While the Rockling was communing with the desert, Jack tore the bottom six inches off of his hoodie. Splitting it at the seams into two pieces, he was able to awkwardly fashion them into bindings to protect his feet. The sleeves would have been better, but considering they'd been left in the last landscape, he'd work with what he had. Pushing away his discomfort at the small strip of pale skin that now showed above the waistband of his pants whenever he moved, Jack kept on.

The sun was merciless, baking everything beneath it golden and crispy, and Jack found himself wishing more and more for the magical glow of Sandy's dreamsand, versus the dusty shimmer of the sand beneath his feet. He was feeling drier and drier by the minute, and he knew he wasn't the only one. Baby didn't seem to be suffering overtly, but she was used to hotter temperatures, even if the humidity was much more prominent where she called home. Noddwyn however seemed to be feeling the heat too, sitting rigidly still on Jack's shoulder, uncomfortably warm to the touch from the hot sunshine. Jack wondered, worriedly, if the heat was dangerous to him somehow. You might not think it, being made of rock, but really, what did Jack know about his new friends physiology save for what little he'd figured out as they went? Jack resolved to keep an eye on both his companions for any signs of strain from the heat, even if there would be ultimately nothing he could do for either of them should they begin to suffer from heatstroke. There wasn't much choice in the matter though; the three of them we stuck there together, they would just have to carry on. Bunny was waiting for him, somewhere, somehow, and Jack was resolved to find the Oracle and set everything right. Jack felt a touch of a smile come to his lips just thinking about his friend, feeling a rush of fondness mixed with his grief. Okay, he had this; it was just mind over matter, right? He'd beat this desert like a rented drum, or something else easily beaten like that. Maybe he should leave the analogies to North; he was better at them, or at least more amusing. Jack was suddenly struck by a wave of homesickness. Bunny he'd been missing since his death, of course, but Jack also felt keenly the absence of the rest of his friends. He was grateful to have pieces of them with him, in the obsidian knife still tucked safely in his belt, the colourful cloak swathing his shoulders, and the crystal that stubbornly remained unbroken in his pocket despite Jack being tossed around like a bouncy ball. The thought of his friends waiting for him on the other side spurred him onward, giving him a bit of a boost to his slowing pace. He tromped ever forward, focused so intently on the far-off horizon that he almost missed it when Noddwyn began to make a grinding noise on his shoulder; it was the subtle vibrations from the Rockling's body more than the sound that finally caught Jack' attention.

"What is it buddy, are we headed the wrong way?" Noddwyn's head did not move but the grinding got deeper, until suddenly it evolved in a high-pitched chatter, the small body trembling with great force, and Jack realized the warning just a second too late for proper evasion. Jack flung himself sideways as a searing, violent rush of heat streaked past him. It didn't make direct contact, but the grazing touch was more than enough at such a high temperature and he stumbled back, burnt and reeling from the pain. Noddwyn tumbled from his shoulder into the sand with a muffled thud. He didn't appear to be injured thankfully, but he was chattering so loud Jack wondered that his small body hadn't shaken itself apart. Baby chirped in alarm, launching a counterattack against the encroaching enemy, but she herself was driven back by a sudden gout of heat and light. Jack steadied himself, thankful once again for the cloak that had taken the worst of the damage, although it had definitely seen better days. By his feet, Noddwyn righted himself, appearing unharmed although terrified if the unending chattering was any indication. Baby returned to Jack's side, hovering above his left flank, facing the enemy head on. Slowly, the heat-shimmer coalesced into the vague shape of a person. Or, more accurately, a tall, genderless, person-shaped crackling bonfire with two sickly-glowing yellow eyes currently staring daggers at the trio. Jack cursed long and low under his breath, knowing that he couldn't hide his fear from Noddwyn and Baby anymore than they could hide their fear from him. After all, the only thing more dangerous than an angry Winter Elemental was an angry and apparently territorial Fire Elemental.

"_Don't like the fireplace, kid? You always sit on the other side of the room." Jack looked over his shoulder, smiling at Bunny as the Pooka moved to sit beside him on one of North's overstuffed monstrosities of a couch. It was Christmas day, and the Guardians had gathered to meet North after he awoke from his much-needed nap. It was a new tradition, started the Christmas after the fateful Easter that Jack had became a Guardian. Now, after both Christmas and Easter, the rest journeyed to either the Warren or the Pole, and when the distributor of either gifts or eggs finally woke up after crashing hard, often for nearly twelve hours straight, they'd all have a small, private party before leaving Bunny or North to relax properly for the next few days. It was nice, not to mention a good excuse to see everyone, and Jack knew that for Bunny at least, it went a long way toward making him feel appreciated for his hard work. Grinning at his companion, Jack shrugged, sipping at his once-hot-but-now-more-comfortably-chilled chocolate._

"_Naw, fire and ice, y'know? Don't really mix well. Best to keep a distance." Bunny nodded in agreement, as Jack continued. "I like a bit of the warmth; from this distance it's... Nice. Nostalgic actually, I mean, back in my human days the fireplace was our 'central heating.' But, fire is a sort of primal fear for all us pretty little snowflakes. Heat and Light don't mean quite the same thing to you as they do to the winter sprite born at midnight." Jack's smile has turned a little angular, rueful about the circumstances of his birth as always, but Bunny shrugs it off like usual. They all have their demons, and Jack's story and associated insecurities are old news by now, and neither one of them would benefit from a rehashing at the moment. "It's a bit different than ambient heat, like in the Warren or visiting Tooth at home. Ambient heat usually had an associated humidity index, so I can draw moisture from the air, or frost my skin to stay cooler. It's... placid, passive. Fire consumes, it has a natural energy that is the antithesis to snow and cold. At the same time, snow can smother flame, and when heated melts into water, which is even more deadly to fire, so the sense of danger goes both ways. S'why you'll never see us frost spirits making nice with fire spirits, we just don't gel on an intrinsic level." Raising his head with a playful lilt to his lips, Jack continues slyly, tone lofty. "Like you with the groundhog, Bunny. Surely you understand." Bunny scoffs but ruffles Jack's hair affectionately anyways. He settles deeper into the couch cushions then, tucking his legs up to sit Indian-style, so close to Jack that they're thighs brush and Jack can feel the heat of him even through ancient wool trousers and fur. Like the fire raging in the grate, this too is soothing, comfortable. Jack smiles, taking another sip of his beverage as he easily coaxes Bunny into a friendly chat while they wait for North to wake._

Jack stares down the fire spirit, feeling his danger sense scream on high alert, like a klaxon in the back of his mind. Shivers of adrenaline run up and down his spine, gearing him for fight-or-flight, but Jack knows that flight isn't really an option right now. Not only is he very literally grounded, but he wouldn't have the energy to get far anyways, even if there had been a sympathetic wind. The option of skating is off the table too, he doubts he has enough energy to even cool the scalding hot sands to the freezing point, much less ice them over. No, there is certainly no way he could make good on an escape right now, and definitely no way to travel far enough to outdistance the fire spirit the way he had the cumbersome rock monster. Right now, he's down to fight, and fight alone a far as options are concerned. He'll have to fight smart though; with any luck, the Fire spirit will make a mistake or leave some kind of opening to exploit. At least, Jack is praying to all manner of gods that the fire elemental will, or else things were about to get very very toasty for Team Frost. Brandishing his staff in what he hoped was a confident manner, Jack put himself between Noddwyn and the fire spirit, catching Baby's eye from the corner of his own. It was likely down to them in this; the Rockling wasn't very manoeuvrable in the sand and with nothing to throw he couldn't even serve confidently as a distraction. It would be up to Jack to be his most nimble and Baby to be at the top of her game to get this done.

The fire spirit launched at Jack again, seemingly dismissing the other two as non-threatening. Jack ducked and dodged his way in a slow circle, leading the fire spirit away from Noddwyn but keeping him backed against Baby, who was doing her best to herd him towards Jack. While the flanking strategy worked to pin him down and keep him on him toes, it wasn't effective at all considering the creature was made entirely of flames, and therefore Baby couldn't get within a foot and a half without getting singed. Likewise, Jack was even more susceptible to heat damage; and to make things worse his only weapon save himself, while having the necessary reach to close to their enemy was also highly flammable. Jack's thoughts drifted briefly to the knife and the crystal, but he quickly dismissed both as useless to him currently. The only one of them that might be able to physically hit the fire spirit was Noddwyn, and even then Jack wasn't counting on the Rockling not being somehow injured by the high heat, either. Besides, with his small size and limited manoeuvrability, Jack would have to resort to throwing the Rockling at the fire spirit, and that was just... no. Jack cursed and danced beyond another blow, thankful suddenly for all the times Bunny had roped him into sparring. Jack was nowhere near as good hand-to-hand as the Pooka had been, but he was no slouch either. The Fire spirit though was wicked fast, and was so hot that even dodging a blow by a narrow enough margin could result in a burn. Jack tried to huddle into the cloak for protection, but it was impossible to do so and fight, so gritting his teeth, he resigned himself to the pain of first and second degree burns on his arms and legs, at least. The stalemate continued, dragging out longer and longer, neither side able to gain foothold enough to turn the tide. It was only a matter of time though Jack knew, before the fire elemental would win simply because Jack and Baby would wear themselves out and be left defenceless. Truth be told the trio was stuck, fighting a war of attrition and knowing they were going to lose. Baby was already looking singed around the edges, Jack was quickly tiring and they still had no idea if the fire spirit had a weakness, much less managing to land a single blow. Jack groped inside him for his frost, feeling it thin and small within him. He was too tired, too hot, and had been pushed too far and injured too much in the days previous; any reserves he had were already depleted, and rapidly shrinking with every moment he stayed on his feet. He'd get one shot at the thing, and that would be it. He'd have to make sure it counted.

Without warning, the fire spirit withdrew momentarily, head cocked to the side as if evaluating his opponent. Jack paused, leaning on his staff and gulping air that was so warm is felt like lead weight in his lungs, realizing that he'd stopped 'sweating' frost at some point during the bout. That really wasn't good, it meant that he was at critically low levels of moisture; much lower and he'd be consuming parts of himself for the necessary water, like a starving human body would eat itself for energy only much faster. This had to end soon, Jack knew, or he'd be out of commission, permanently. Which was exactly the cue for the dune beside the fire spirit to rear up and smack the creature in the back. The fire spirit stumbled forward, or as close as you could get when you were sort of hovering a couple inches above the ground. Appearing for all intents to be somewhat dazed and confused, the creature quickly spun around to retaliate, only to get smacked in the face this time. Jack watched, open-mouthed with awe, as the dune shifted like a sand-serpent, alternately jabbing and slapping at the fire spirit, driving him in small tight circles. The fire spirit let out a crackly roar, trying to hit back, but the sand appeared unfazed and kept coming, instead. Jack couldn't stop the surprised bark of laughter, stunned at this turn of events. He cast his gaze around, looking for their rescuer, when over the din of the battle he heard a familiar scraping noise. He turned, and there was Noddwyn right where he'd been left; shoulder-deep in the sand and fixated eerily on the fire spirit, his usually intense unblinking gaze made even more so by the narrowness of his focus. Jack was unable to prevent the nearly manic grin that spread at that moment, caused in equal parts by pride in his friend, and sheer amusement at the fire spirit quite literally getting bitch-slapped by the desert itself. Above him, Baby twittered her own laughter, obviously enjoying the show as much as Jack.

They only had another couple seconds of hilarity though, before, with a mighty screech, the fire spirit hit the sand with a blast of heat so hot Jack felt it from where he was standing. The sand arm flash-burned into an oddly-shaped glass pillar, halting dead in its tracks. Noddwyn didn't pause a moment with the scraping noises, even as Baby and Jack gaped. There was immediately a second arm, coming at the fire spirit from behind, but no sooner had it made contact then it too was turned to glass. A third, then a fourth arm met the same fate. Jack felt his heart plummet, his hope for victory shrivelling in his chest. Noddwyn's scraping began to stutter, become more broken as he tried to keep summoning more and more sand arms, but the fire spirit was destroying them as soon as they appeared. Even worse, whatever magic Noddwyn was working to manipulate them was obviously running out, if the broken, arrhythmic noises he was now making were any indication. Jack tensed, half-turning to Noddwyn, preparing to grab the Rockling and run, hoping against hope he could somehow miraculously get them away from the futility of this battle, when Noddwyn finally faltered to a stop. With no new sand arms to focus on, the fire spirit turned, slipping easily out from the among the gleaming glass spires it had just inadvertently created. It had barely cleared the last one when it took aim and flared up directly towards Baby, who was currently the closest and therefore easiest target. Getting knocked around by the arms, while promising at first, seemed to have only made the creature madder, for it moved with a speed and hostility that it hadn't yet displayed. Jack cried out in alarm, already feeling his body moving to help intercept. Baby ducked the first swing, narrowly missed the second, but the third brushed so close she shrieked, and Jack could see her tiny, delicate feathers melting under the searing heat. Jack screamed her name mindlessly in panic, hearing Noddwyn behind him chattering like mad, as he rushed forward.

The tableau before him was terrible; Baby was hurt, tumbling down to the sand, the fire spirit standing nearby, smug and gloating. It knew it had won, that this little fairy was down, that one more hit would be the end. Jack saw it all, could feel the heavy weight of it, staring at the humanoid column of flame with more rage then he'd felt since the day Bunny had fallen. In that moment, everything crystallized into perfect clarity, and Jack finally understood what emotional force had driven Bunny to do what he'd done. Truthfully, it was more instinct and rage; an unstoppable desire to PROTECT HIS FRIEND and to END THIS more than anything else that had him changing direction at the last moment, spinning away from where Baby had fallen toward the fire spirit. Wrath and Love drove Jack those last few feet straight into the being of flame, the curve of his staff coming up hard to hit the creature right in centre mass, hooking around the very heart of him and holding him in place. Jack stepped in close, feeling the intense heat blister the skin on his face and all down his front, his hands blackening and burnt fingers curling into involuntary claws as close as they were to the thing's body, but he didn't release his grip. Despite the agony, despite the heat, despite every survival instinct urging Jack to run and LIVE, he held true, moving right into the fire spirit's face so he could look it in its glowing eyes as he discharged everything he had, directly into the middle of its fiery body. Jack's swan song, the final dregs of his power exploded forth from the charred curve of his staff, tearing through what amounted to the ribcage of the creature, frost instantly vaporizing into steam and dousing flame as it went. It wasn't enough though, the creature was shrieking a high, unholy sound, squirming and flailing like a worm on a hook, each frantic attack opening up more bloody, oozing heat blisters on Jack's skin. Jack world narrowed, tunnelled down to the being he was killing; slowly, terribly, with no remorse or pity. Knowing this was it, the death rattle for them both, Jack pushed harder; letting everything he was flow into the remnants of his staff, pouring his very being into that one, last strike. Jack had known from the commencement that he'd only have one hit, one shot at the win, so he'd damn well made sure it was a good one.

Abruptly, the fire spirit fizzled out of existence, heat and light finally quenched by cold and snow. Like all good reciprocities however, this one did not come without its cost. The last thing Jack was aware of was Baby's panicked shrieks and Noddwyn's high distressed whine, as the residual heat took its toll. What was left of his body finished evaporating into nothing but steam, dispersing into the dry air until all that remained of Jack Frost was a burnt scrap of a colourful cloak, an obsidian dagger, a scorched but intact crystal, and the ashes of a once-beloved shepherd's crook scattered grey across the golden sand.

"_Do you ever think about how you might die?" They were reclined on the soft, dewy grass of the Warren, just enjoying the mild evening air. There were no stars here, not like aboveground, but it was no less relaxing to Jack and Bunny, even if they couldn't kill time picking out constellations. Lying off to his right, Jack caught Bunny's nose wrinkle from the corner of his eye as the other responded._

"_That's a mite morbid, dontcha think snowflake?" Jack shrugged, knowing the other would catch the movement. _

"_Maybe. It's just... The anniversary of my death it coming soon and the memories are... kind of fresher than usual, now that I've been digging through them with Tooth. I was thinking, about what it would be like, to die again. Y'know, maybe it's different as a spirit, than as a human. Do you think so?" Bunny let out a heavy breath, remaining silent for a long, long moment. Jack let him be, knowing that sometimes it took time for all those big thoughts to arrange themselves rightly in Bunny's head, and he'd gotten used to exercising his patience._

"_I think Jack, the difference would be more in the how. Different means of execution would results in different experiences, all puns intended." Jack huffed a soft laugh, accepting the joke as a means of lightening the subject matter, and most certainly not on any sort of dismissal of the seriousness of it. Jack was hardly one to talk about inappropriate humour being used to break the tension, after all. _

"_Probably true, Bunny. In that case, I hope I go out with a bang. Drowning was... unpleasant. Also far too quiet. Next time, I want to fail at defusing a bomb, or something. You know, have it be memorable." Jack could practically feel the force of Bunny's eye-roll from here, no looking required._

"_Let it be known Jack Frost that any death you have will most certainly be memorable to the rest of us." Bunny's tone was teasing, but Jack didn't miss the implication that 'memorable' meant 'we would always miss you.' Swallowing back a sudden lump in this throat, Jack basked in the affection from his friend for a moment longer before speaking again, teasingly._

"_Seriously though, blaze of glory or nothing, that's the only way." Jack gave Bunny his very best innocent grin then, but the Pooka wasn't buying it for a second, giving Jack the eyeball of doom until he relented, sobering enough to discuss what was really bothering him. "Bunny, do you think... Where do you think we go, when we die? Us immortals, I mean, do we go to the same place as our families from before? Would I see my sister again? Or do we go somewhere else? With the other immortals that went before us?" Jack trailed off, shifting uncomfortably. For his part Bunny appeared unsettled as well as he responded._

"_I don't know, Kiddo. Hadn't thought about it. Haven't wanted to, either. I have family I want to see again someday too." Jack nodded, he knew all about the family that Bunny had long since lost to the Fearlings. "Maybe, if we're lucky, it's all the same place, and everything will be apples." Bunny offered a tentative grin, and Jack accepted it for what it was, allowing the other to carefully change the subject to something less sensitive. Besides, there was no point in troubling himself about it just now. Immortal may not mean totally unable to die, but it did mean that they had eons before they likely had to worry about it, anyways. And you know Jack, never one to worry when he didn't have to. Relaxing and having fun was so much more his style._

"A journey is a fragment of Hell."  
― Bruce Chatwin


	6. Interlude: The Rebirth

Merry Christmas, have an interlude. :)

6) The Rebirth: Claire Maguire - Are You Ready? (Intro)

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Before I die,  
I smile like I'm jokin'.  
But I'm still alive,  
Wide-eyed and chokin'.

- Hedley 'Mexico'

He was floating. Flying. Something. Except, it wasn't right. He didn't really feel like him; he didn't really feel at all actually, but apparently he was a Him, and not an It; not a thing but a person. Person was somewhat of an abstract concept for him, but he knew he was not air, although he was in it. He wasn't sure how he knew he was in the air then, but something about the way he was bobbing, drifting, was familiar. He'd done this before, only not. Not exactly like this, at least. It was hot, hotter than he was used to, and he was aimless, directionless, but that was okay, he was in no rush, because time didn't mean anything when you were nothing but a Him with barely a consciousness.

Oh, it was cooler now. Not cold like he'd like, but that was fine, he wasn't even sure why he knew how to like stuff, anyways. He wasn't sure what it said that he had a preference, when he wasn't entirely sure what he was, or if he was in fact anything at all. It was cooler though, which made him happier, even though he didn't know what happier actually meant. It was cooler and he was moving faster now, with more purpose. Purpose, purpose, he'd had one of those once, hadn't he? Something important, something he was trying to accomplish. Something nudged at him then, like a wisp of thought as gentle as a cloud; the brush of feathers on his cheek, cool rock against his neck. The memory of fur and bright laughter. He knew these things, didn't he? No, not things, people, like him. People that felt, had presence, memories. He had memories too, but no presence. That was wrong, wasn't it? He was supposed to have presence. Hands and feet and arms and legs and a body with which to do things. Things like talk, and walk...

OH! He'd been walking, hadn't he? With the thing-with-feathers and the-thing-that-was-rock, and he'd been looking for the-thing-with-fur-that-laughed.

Bunny. The fur-thing was called Bunny, and he laughed like moonlight on snow, and his smile pulled stars from the sky.

Oh MiM, BUNNY.

Jack remembered. Bunny and Baby and Noddwyn and the fire elemental, and he was dead, wasn't he? This was death, but it couldn't be, because if it was Bunny would be here, his sister would be here, and they weren't, so Jack wasn't dead, he refused it. Jack wished he had a mouth, so he could scream his refusal to the heavens. Jack wished he had hands and arms, so he could strike out at the nothingness surrounding him in his anger. He wished he had legs and feet and a body so he could find his friends, find the Road, and keep going. He wasn't done yet, he couldn't be. He had to find his most precious of people, and fix his Bunny and then go home.

This wasn't death, it couldn't be, and Jack would not be fooled. The feeling of absolute certainty coalesced inside of him, giving him weight and substance once again. The sensation became physical, shooting through Jack right down to his brand-new fingertips and toes. He could feel himself settle into place around him, his physical presence reasserting itself into the world again, drawing back together like one long, loud inhalation.

Eyes suddenly wide open to the impossibly blue sky, soft grass beneath his back, Jack arched, mouth opening, his hoarse scream of triumph echoing into the clear, crisp air.

Guided by his memories and the love he held for his friends, Jack Frost had returned.

"_Here, Jack." Tooth carefully passed over the slim golden box, Jack's mischievously smiling human face painted on one end in careful detail. "Are you sure you're ready? We can wait a bit longer, if you'd like." Tooth's voice was a little anxious, but Jack ignored her anxiety; instead cradling the box lovingly, staring at the face that had once been him. _

"_No Tooth, I've waited long enough. Baby Tooth showed me a bit, back in Antarctica, but I need the rest. I need to know my mother, my father. I need more that about my sister than just the shape of her face. I need her name, and mine too. I need to know where I come from, who I was before I became myself." Jack's face was uncharacteristically shy and solemn as he spoke, sincerity shining through with every word. With a gentle smile, Tooth nodded, resting one hand on his head._

"_If you're sure then Jack, I'll walk you through what your teeth have to offer." Smiling again reassuringly, Tooth closed her eyes, bidding Jack to do the same. "Memories are incredible things, Jack. They are a large part of who we are, whether human or spirit. They can shape us, define us, encourage us or constrict us. Whatever you see here today, remember that they only have as much power over you as you allow them, okay?" Jack felt the grin tug his lips up, nodding once under Tooth's small hand. She smiled back with a quicksilver twist of her lips, and then fell silent and slack-faced with concentration. There, under her expert guidance the world of Jack's past opened up to him, like fragile flower in bloom for the first time._

"I keep going back  
as if I'm looking for something I have lost  
back to the motherland, sisterland, fatherland  
back to the beacon, the breast  
the smell and taste of the breeze,  
and the singing of the rain."  
― Heather Nova


	7. The Placid Bastion

Happy New Year! Have a chapter! Also, I should let everyone know that this is the last chapter I'd written in advance, and with the state of my personal life of late, there is a chance that there may not be a chapter prepped for next Wednesday. Rest assured this fic is not abandoned, and will be continued.

Recommended listening for this chapter:

6) The Placid Bastion: Nine Inch Nails – A Warm Place

* * *

Life is short and we have never too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are travelling the dark journey with us. Oh be swift to love, make haste to be kind.  
- Henri Frederic Amiel

Jack lay there breathing slowly and deeply, feeling very disoriented and sore. Well, maybe more tingly than sore, like the feeling when your foot 'falls asleep' and then 'wakes up,' except all over. The rush of air into his lungs was brilliant, the thump of his heart in his chest, the drag of his eyelids as he blinked; all these things felt brand-new and incredible. Jack felt the tears well up, dripping slowly from the corner of his eyes along his temples to the ground. He was alive; whole and mostly hale save for the continued ache along his spine that he'd almost grown used to. He was here, in a place he didn't recognize, but knew somehow to be part of the Road, so he still had a chance to find Noddwyn and Baby and save Bunny. He just had to find the motivation to move, which was easier said than done. Being put back together again had done nothing to help his severely depleted reserves. He felt exhausted, wrung out, and while not on the verge of death, a nap would certainly not go remiss. He found himself afraid to let go, afraid to close his eyes, not trusting that he'd still be alive when he woke. He wished Sandy was there to ensure good dreams, but knew it was a futile wish. He'd just have to wait until this was over, and he was home. Of course, it wouldn't be over until he got up and got a move on, and so the vicious circle began again. He'd have spent another couple hours chasing his thoughts, if it hadn't been for the soft footsteps approaching. Jack struggled to push himself up to face the approaching person, but weak as he was he didn't succeed. He reached for his staff, but quickly realized that while he was here, his staff was nowhere near him. It was likely, Jack realized with slowly dawning horror, that while he'd restored himself somehow, that his staff was forever lost to him. That was also the moment he noticed that the slight breeze he'd been feeling all over his skin meant he was also nude. So, he was currently naked, prone and helpless; honestly, could this situation get any worse? Not much he could do about it though, other than wait for the approaching person to do as they would, and pray that there were not an opportunistic enemy and that these weren't in fact his last few undignified moments alive.

What he was not expecting was the earnest face that appeared as a woman knelt beside him, one slender, lovely hand coming out to gently stroke his brow. She was not particularly young, but not so old that she was showing clear signs of aging. She had plain brown curls pinned up away from a round face that was girl-next-door pretty with a soft, welcoming smile. She was clothed in a simple dress of an autumn orange with a white apron, not unlike something the women had worn in the time Jack had been human. In fact, she could have been his mother, or the mother of one of his human friends, if the gentle, nurturing vibe she seemed to exude was any indication. Jack felt himself relax into her soothing touch almost against his own wishes. The hand began to move then, petting his hair like a beloved child, and Jack found himself slipping swiftly into sleep. He fought for a moment, full of fear, but she shushed him, murmuring quietly to him as he dozed off. The last thing he remembered was the unknown woman speaking to him by name.

When he wakes again, Jack decides he is entirely sick and tired of slowly coming into consciousness is strange places. It's been a far too regular occurrence since he set out on this endeavor, and frankly enough is enough. He's just come to in what looks to be some kind of glade. It's as bright and sunny as the desert, but he's sheltered under the shade of a ridiculously large, leafy tree, the light filtering down to feather onto the ground all around him, dappling the soft moss and deadfall with odd patterns of light and dark. He lies among the roots, cradled in their hollows and the cool earth and greenery that grows there. He's still naked, but it's less uncomfortable now then it was with the impending audience. To his right is the tree's enormous trunk; much thicker than any he'd ever seen on Earth, and above him the canopy is so high that he almost feels vertigo just looking at it. To his left, folded on a nearby flat rock, are what appears to be a change of clothes, which he's grateful for, cause the bum-to-the-breeze thing is getting pretty old. He tries to rise, and this time manages it properly, if a little clumsily. His limbs feel coltish and awkward, which doesn't surprise him much, being the first day in his 'new' body. He doesn't bother standing, merely scoots himself over toward the clothes, ignoring the promise of grass stains on his pale skin. The fabric is soft and comfortable, but obviously durable and meant for travelling. The shirt is white, with a clerical-style collar and wide sleeves that gather around at the wrists with narrow cuffs. It appeared to be made of some kind of lightweight linen, with silver embroidery in a delicate, curling pattern along the collar and down the outside of the sleeves. In fact, Jack would be inclined to say that the threads are meant to resemble the frost ferns he creates almost unthinkingly. There is also a waistcoat of a heavier, thicker fabric in a rich royal blue, with the same silver embroidery patterning the front. The final item is a pair of sturdy woollen trousers not unlike his previous ones, only these are in a charcoal grey and not quite as snug as their predecessors; the extra leg room not entirely unpleasant although unusual. They are also perhaps a touch too long, as they drag slightly with every step, but Jack isn't willing to look a gift horse in the mouth, and besides, he can roll them up into a perfect functional cuff just fine, which he does until they hit just below the knee. Finally presentable for company again, Jack heads out, intending to walk in a random direction until he finds either trouble or where his friends got to, whatever comes first. Barring either of those, Jack would settle for meeting up with the mysterious woman again, which he knows couldn't have been a hallucination. He just hopes Noddwyn and Baby aren't stuck in the desert still, alone and mostly defenceless. The world around him is a deep, dense forest, the trees growing so close together that he has to carefully pick his way between them. Unlike the first forest he'd encountered the SpiderBunny in however, this one is vibrant and alive; the thick canopy of leaves above rustles gently in the breeze while the thick spongy moss below cushions his bare feet as he walks. Around him are random bursts of flora growing on ground and tree trunks alike; both greenery and flowers in a riotous variety of colours and shapes, none of which he recognizes, and he's spent more than his fair share of time in the Warren. Must be stuff unique to the Road then, Jack figured, appreciated the wild, untameable beauty of his surroundings.

Jack makes it about a hundred feet, just far enough to crest a slight hill between two incredibly large tree trunks, and summarily finds himself bowled over by an enthusiastic fairy-shaped projectile. A fairy that is significantly larger then he remembers her being; large enough in fact that she is comfortably carrying a certain Rockling with her, her arms tight around his midsection and his back to her chest the way a child would carry a beloved pet. The two are nearly of a size now, although Baby seems to have edged out over Noddwyn. She looks almost like a human toddler with feathers; she has proper arms now, her wings relocated to her back and wingspan several times larger than before. Her beak nose has shrunk in proportion to her more human-looking face, but her smile is the same as always, even as she delightedly chirps Jack's name. She looks like Tooth might have in miniature. Noddwyn hasn't changed as drastically, but his colouring has deepened, darkened, and his skin has taken on a slightly different quality than before. He seems warmer and softer somehow as Jack runs gentle fingers over the top of his head and down his back; as though the stone that forms him is truly living, and not just animated. Jack grins helplessly as he notices that his friend is making that happy purring noise where he snuggles into both Baby's grip and Jack's chest, Baby herself crooning wordless delight into Jack's bare neck. Despite his surprise at their appearance, Jack wastes no time in pulling them closer, holding them tightly, never wanting to let them go. He might never have done so either, if he hadn't recognized the soft footsteps coming towards them. They all raise their heads to greet the new addition; the brunette woman from before.

"Hello Jack Frost." She greets him, with a voice as rich as honey. "Welcome to the Bastion, the place of rest and healing at the heart of the Questing Path." Stunned, it takes Jack a moment to find his voice, and when he does, it is gritty from disuse, and he can't help but wonder how long it had been since he'd spoken last.

"Are... Are you the Oracle?" The woman laughs, but it is not unkind, more flattered than anything.

"No Jack, I am not. What I am is one of his avatars; and aspect of him, sent to greet and aid weary travellers such as yourselves. Most call me the Messenger, and this is my garden." The Messenger offered the gathered friends a warm smile, one that Jack could not help returning. The woman seemed sincere enough; her presence calming and soothing.

"So, this place... it's safe? No bad guys lurking in the corner or anything?" Jack couldn't help but ask, squinting his eyes and peering around the woman to either side, as if expecting something big and ugly to leap out at them. He knew it was futile though; something about this place instinctively felt like a safe space. There was just something in the air that he could feel in his bones that spoke of nothing but calm and peacefulness, but he wouldn't be satisfied until he heard assurances spoken aloud.

"Yes Jack Frost, this place is a neutral zone. You and your companions may rest here for a time and recover your strength before you continue with your quest. For my part, I am willing to answer any question I can about the Road and its inhabitants so far"

Jack blinked long and slow at the offer, obviously sceptical. "You can't mean that." His disbelief was clear in every word.

Now, the faintest hint of a frown crossed the Messenger's face. "Cannot mean what, Jack?" She said with honest confusion in her tone.

"The answers thing!" Jack proclaimed, completely incredulous. "I mean, no one just gives out answers anymore! It's all 'solve this riddle' or 'figure out this obscure clue,' nobody ever tells anybody anything straight up! Isn't that against some sort of code of conduct or something?" Jack would have gestured with his staff for emphasis, but he was currently staff-less and had his arms full of very-relieved-to-see-him-alive snuggle-buddies. He was however treated to the sight of the Messenger's face clearing with her amusement, her laughter tinkling in the warm air like a bell.

"Fear not, Jack Frost. Part of my appointment here is to ensure that any and all who Quest are prepared to proceed. The nature of the tasks set to you from this point forward are of a different kind than those that have already passed. Previously, it was your strength, cunning, and fortitude being tested, through physical combat with foes tailored specifically to you. Also, your willingness to sacrifice yourself for your friends and your cause was gauged, and found worthy. Now knowledge, in this case, is your most useful tool, and it is my job to offer any guidance you feel necessary. There are no tricks young elemental, and no strings. Just myself, and whatever information I can provide." Jack couldn't stop himself from matching her smile. While the prospect of the tasks still before them was somewhat daunting, Jack had confidence that together, the three of them could succeed. Giving his friends one last squeeze, Jack released them, letting Baby free to zip about as she pleased, and settling Noddwyn onto his shoulder.

"Well then!" Jack chirped cheerily; "Is this like, twenty questions, or what?" The Messenger smiled that gentle, indulgent smile again.

"Bring your friends this way, Jack Frost. We will settle ourselves more comfortably for our conversation." Without waiting for a response, the Messenger turned and picked her way carefully down the embankment, avoiding loose rocks and tree roots with the inborn grace of a long-time dancer. Jack followed, right hand helping Noddwyn to balance on his shoulder, the other hand clutching emptily at the absence of his staff. He fought to ignore the strange, uncomfortable sensation of vulnerability, focussing his attention onto Baby and her excited chatter instead. She filled him in as they walked; how, after Jack's little coup-de-gras, they found themselves alone, exhausted and injured in Baby's case. She described with no small amount of affection and appreciation how Noddwyn had carefully carried her, in an awkward piggy back fashion. It had taken days to finished crossing the desert as they were; since they had to stop frequently to allow Baby a chance to rest and heal, and Noddwyn a moment to reorient them. Luckily, their progress was not slowed or hampered at all by the appearance of any further enemies. By the end of the second estimated day, however, not only was Baby well on the mend, they had realized that she was growing. Soon, she was large enough to carry Noddwyn, instead of the other way around, and after that it was only a few short hours later that they'd stumbled out of the desert and into the Bastion and the waiting arms of the Messenger. They'd shared their tale of woe with her, prepared to spend their time of rest grieving, but the Messenger had assured them, with an odd smile, that their funeral plans were slightly pre-emptive. Not the next day, they had been told that Jack had made it to the Bastion, in critical shape, but was resting and recovering. It had been three days of anxious waiting before Jack and roused and they'd been brought together again.

Once their tale had finished, they walked in silence for a few moments more, just appreciating each other's company, before the Messenger led them to a glade not unlike the one Jack had awoken in. This one appeared setup for proper habitation however, with a large tent, a laundry line, and the remnants of a cooking fire. The Messenger bade them all to be seated on one of the logs encircling the fire pits, before gracefully alighting beside them herself. She carefully smoothed out the lengths of her skirts until they fell neatly about her, looking every inch the lady as she did so. Jack was impressed; even in his time he'd seen few women that bore themselves with the dignity and regal air that this woman did. In deference, Jack waited until she was comfortably seated. Jack took the moment to adjust himself comfortably, so that both Baby and Noddwyn were cuddling in his lap, their sides pressed together and their backs snug to his stomach. He had a brief flash of sitting like this himself in his mother's lap, back when he was but a small, human child, and the thought made him smile nostalgically. The Messenger seemed to read the meaning behind the thought, if not the thought itself, for she offered Jack and his friends a warm grin.

"Thanks, for the clothes and stuff, that was you, right? Cause pants are always appreciated, y'know?" Jack finds himself blurting out into the sudden silence; frost rising to his cheeks in a heady blush. "The whole naked thing was awkward, and uncomfortable in a multitude of ways, so yeah, thanks."

The Messenger offered Jack and amused grin, her merriment evident in her eyes. "You are welcome, Jack Frost, and I hope they serve you well. You may ask me any question you see fit to ask, Jack Frost. I will answer fully to your satisfaction. Know this though; any tasks yet to be completed, any challenges yet faced, cannot be revealed to you by our discussions. These are the only questions I cannot answer, for I know not what lies ahead of you."

Jack blinked in surprise, the last sentence catching him unexpectedly. "So, you know what I've done, but not what I'm going to do?"

Smiling gently, the Messenger shook her head. "Your path is yours to walk, Jack Frost. Even the Oracle, who sees all that has been and all that is now, cannot see what is to come. You determine your own fate with every action, every inaction, every choice you make and every enemy you face. I can see where you have come from Jack Frost, and I know what led you to come here and what you seek, but I cannot see where you are to go, and whether you will succeed."

Jack nodded, absorbing this. Made sense that even the most knowledgeable being in the known universe couldn't possibly know everything, and while it would have been nice to know that he was going to make it to the Oracle, it was also a relief that his destiny was not yet determined. He disliked the idea of being a puppet, just playing out a story already written. "So, can you tell me if the Oracle even has the power to bring Bunny back at all? I mean, I'd hate to have come so far only to fail on a technicality." Noddwyn nodded and Baby chirped, both in agreement.

"The Oracle can grant you this one boon, if you succeed in your endeavor."

Jack nodded again, looking down and frowning. He had so many questions, where to start? Catching sight of the two in his lap, the answer quickly came to him. "What happened to Baby and Noddwyn? Baby I know for sure has changed since we arrived, and I suspect Noddwyn has too, since we found him."

The Messenger seemed pleased by his question, clasping her hands in her lap as she spoke. "You are correct. It is due to the inherent nature of this place. The Road as you saw it Jack Frost, only exists because of you. It is formless magic swirling in the abyss until there is a Challenger to shape it. Everything you have encountered so far is a reflection of you, and to a lesser degree your familiars." The Messenger gestured daintily at Noddwyn and Baby. "You fear the Earth creatures known as 'Spiders' and felt a large amount on anxiety over your lost friend, and so you fought a foe that reflected those emotions. You have a large capacity for love, and a devotion to those you cherish, so your fight in the Quarry reflected that to as it forced you to place their wellbeing over your own. As a Winter Mage, the danger of desert and fire too were represented by the Road for you to overcome. Nothing you have faced is an accident or a coincidence, Jack Frost." The Messenger shifted slightly, angling her body a little more toward Jack and company. "But, as you shape the Road, so too does the Road shape you in return. Both in the lessons you learn from it, the gifts it affords to you," the Messenger looked pointedly at Noddwyn, and Jack clutched the Rockling a little bit closer, "and also, by the magic you absorb. It has augmented both of your friends, making them stronger, faster, and more capable then before. It has done the same to you, Jack Frost."

Jack eyed the Messenger warily as he replied. "I'm not sure I believe that. I mean, I can see what you mean about me shaping the environment, but not being shaped by it. Unless you mean my miraculous recovery back there? How did that happen, anyways? Was that you?" Jack's tone was skeptical, and for the first time, a slight frown tugged at the corner of the Messenger's mouth.

"No Jack Frost, your recovery was your own. You did something that most elemental manipulators from you realm have a difficult time doing. You held on to yourself; your memory and identity past the point that death should have claimed you, and used them to reshape your physical structure out of its own remnants. Essentially, you re-condensed yourself from the steam created by your meeting with the fire elemental. It's not an impossible trick, but not one you see often from your realm. Most elemental do not have a strong enough affinity or sense of self and purpose to do so. It impressed the Oracle very much."

Jack grinned a bit, feeling a nearly smug sense of accomplishment, until he noticed that the Messenger's face had tightened. "Do not be so prideful, Jack Frost. You are mistrustful, of both my words and the magics working upon you in this realm. One could perhaps understand such, having witnessed your adventures so far. But hear this; you have been marked as surely by your time here as your companions have, you just have not yet embraced your changes."

"Embraced my changes?" Jack scoffed, unable to help himself, ignored Baby's warning cheep to do so. "Lady, I've met every challenge head on without flinching, including certain and very painful death. What exactly am I not 'embracing' here?" Jack couldn't help the sarcastic tone, really he couldn't. He was an immortal teenager; sarcasm came with the territory, so sue him.

The Messenger looked at Jack, with what he could only describe as pity. "You do not understand yet, but you must, if you wish to endure the remaining trials before you. Accept yourself and the changes wrought Jack Frost, or you will not succeed alone."

The last word caught in Jack's ears and nearly stopped his heart in fear. "Alone?" Jack croaked weakly, "What do you mean, alone? I'm not leaving without Baby and Noddwyn!"

"You have no choice!" For the first time, there was a sharpness to the Messengers voice that shouldn't have surprised Jack, but did. "The trials you have passed so far tested your determination, your skill, your resourcefulness and your bond with both friends. The ones ahead are a different sort of test meant for you and you alone, as the challenger to this realm. You must continue on without accompaniment, or be sent back to whence you came." The Messenger straightened in her seat, lending greater force to her words. "There is no alternative, Jack Frost. Up until now, they were permitted to be with you because they were companions, not challengers in their own right. Only challengers are allowed past this point, unless you would have your companions continue from here alone also, to Quest on their own, separate paths as well?"

Baby and Noddwyn tweeted and clacked their readiness respectively, but Jack shook his head, already calculating the terrible odds his friends would face out there separate and unprotected. "No, let them be. I will go by myself, as you demand." Jack's voice was hard and flinty, pitched to rise above the angry caterwauling coming from his lap. "Will they be safe here until I can return?" Jack looked beseechingly at the Messenger, still ignoring Baby and Noddwyn's very vocal protests.

"Yes, your companions will come to no harm in the Bastion. Succeed or fail, they will both be returned to your homeworld when the trials end. You have my word as Messenger of the Oracle."

"Even Noddwyn, who was born here?" Jack asked.

The Messenger nodded in agreement. "Even Noddwyn, who was created for you and is bonded to you; he would not exist again should he stay behind as this world will unmake itself when you leave, in order to prepare for the next Challenger to Walk." Jack nodded, convinced. Or, convinced enough, at least. He would never trust easy, he was too scarred from a long history of solitude for that, but it would have to be enough. In his lap, Noddwyn was grinding away in displeasure, and Baby was battering the crown of Jack's head with her tiny wings in anger. "Guys, guys, chill. Look, I want to take you with me; believe me I don't want to go without you. But we have to keep moving. There is no reason to risk yourselves any further; this is my Quest, and you both have suffered enough because of me." The cacophony of wails started up again, but Jack cut them off. "That's enough! I need you to take care of each other, please, and make sure that if I fail, someone is here safe and sound to take the message back home, okay?" Jack looked at his friends, pleadingly. "Baby, I know that you cared about Bunny too, but Tooth and the girls need you. Noddwyn, I can't drag you any further into this mess then I already have. You can go back with Baby and meet our friends, and have a chance to live safe and happy. Besides!" Jack grinned, face brightening, "Who says I'm not coming back anyways? I'm going to Walk all over this Road, just you wait! It'll be a party of four heading home, I promise!" Baby calmed somewhat, reassured by Jack's optimism, snuggling into his jawline, although her grumbling didn't quite stop. In his lap, Noddwyn stopped squirming, settling himself into a soft purr. Jack smiled, hugging Noddwyn tighter and raising a hand to stroke Baby's feathers. Joy filled him up entirely, reverberating against his center, which was still intact even after all he'd endured so far. How did he get so lucky, to have such loving, loyal friends?

"If you are satisfied, Jack Frost, then I bid you and your friends to rest, for tomorrow you must leave." The Messenger's words were kind, but firm. "Now that you are healed, I am not permitted to shelter you any longer."

Jack jerked his head up in shock. "But, my staff! I'm a sitting duck without it; I can barely channel any magic at all! Did it even survive the fire elemental?" Jack could feel his breath speeding up, the panic forming.

Oddly enough, the Messenger seemed to be unconcerned in the slightest with Jack's Panic. In fact, Jack was pretty sure he'd caught a glimpse of a twinkle in her eyes, not unlike the kind North was known to get when he knew something you didn't. The Mona Lisa smile was snapped back into place a second later, leaving Jack to believe he'd imagined it. "The staff was as much ash and dust as you were steam, Jack Frost. When you reconstituted yourself back into a human form, it was just that; only your body, not your conduit. It is lost, forever."

Jack groaned, dismayed. How was he expected to defend himself against the trials of the Road without a weapon? He voiced as much to the Messenger, who merely smiled slyly.

"Ah, you forget, Jack Frost, you are not unarmed at all." From somewhere in the folds of her dress, the Messenger withdrew both the obsidian dagger gifted to him from Sandy, and the glowing rock from North.

Incredulous, Jack gasped. "Where did you get those! They were on me when I burnt! Wait, did the cloak survive too?"

The Messenger shook her head, sympathetic. "These did not burn like the cloak and staff did. They were carried here by the magic of the Road, and entrusted to me by the same power to be returned to you when you awoke." Standing, she slipped the rock over Jack's head, now tied up with long a cord to make a necklace. The dagger she handed to him carefully, hilt first. After inspecting it for damage and finding it intact, Jack slid in into the sheath she offered, shifting Noddwyn off his lap briefly so as to secure the dagger to the outside of his right thigh for easy access. "The Road is not unfair, Jack. Difficult yes, and most certainly overwhelming at points, but never truly unfair. These gifts are steeped in your magic and the magic of those that sent them with you; they are bound to you, and unless destroyed, they will always return to you."

Jack nodded, fingertips rising to the softly glowing rock around his neck. He felt greatly reassured to know that the tools provided by his friends were still with him, as if he could feel their love and pride echoed from the objects. He briefly mourned the loss of the cloak Tooth had gifted him and the staff that had saved his sister's life, but these were small sacrifices to restore Bunny to his rightful place. He had already offered up far worse to this trial, after all. Material possessions could be replaced; at least, i the case of his staff, Jack hoped so.

With a final nod, the Messenger rose, offering the trio the use of the tent for the evening. Despite having slept most of the last few days, Jack knew that another night's worth would be beneficial. If he was to proceed on his own, he needed to be in top shape, or all his promises would be for naught. Tucking himself and his friends into the comfortable blankets he found inside the tent, the three of them readied themselves to sleep. Curled around each other like puppies, they drew comfort from one another for as long as they could, knowing that come morning, they would be separated once again. The sun came up too quickly however, and Jack and his friends found themselves being led to the border of the Bastion. It was a strange place; like a veil draped over the world, shimmering and opaque so that none could perceive what lay beyond. Jack stood at the edge, the Messenger off to the side to allow the friends to say farewell. Baby nuzzled Jack's face with her own, and then Noddwyn did the same, murmuring blessings and purring assurances respectively to their friend. Jack reassured them all again that he was strong and smart enough to endure, and that he would see them again once this all was over. He kept it short and sweet though, fearful that if he lingered, he would be too tempted to stay entirely. So, without another word he turned, squaring his shoulders and stepping through the veil; leaving his friends and the Bastion behind, the words 'good bye' never having crossed his lips.

_Bunny poked Jack in the side with his toe, mostly to get his attention, but also somewhat to annoy the other. "Time to head off, kiddo. North'll be expecting you soon."_

_Jack groaned, thumping his head back into the grass. They were in the Warren again, Jack furthering the cause of trying to convince Bunny to have fun by annoying him endlessly. "Do I have to? He's loud, and enthusiastic about absolutely everything even the stuff he shouldn't be, and the elves keep trying to give me shoes." Jack sat up, a bemused smirk on his lips. "I think they're under the impression that my feet might be cold, or something. I'd wear them to make them feel better, if I didn't avoid shoes on general principle." Truthfully, Jack hated shoes; they made his feet feel confined to the point where they ached. Jack knew it was psychosomatic but whatever, it was still uncomfortable. _

_Bunny chuckled, prodding the teenager to his feet. "Up you get now, let's not disappoint the man who adores you like his own, kiddo. North thinks the world of you, I hope you know. Now, be off, I have work to do. Besides," Bunny added somewhat slyly, "A little fairy sheila told me that North's been upgrading the sleigh again. Who knows, he might finally let you test drive."_

_Jack burst into a grin, bending to snatch his staff from the ground. "I'm gone then, 'Roo. Don't miss me!" Jack took to the air, trusting the wind to carry him through the right tunnel to the pole, and ignoring Bunny's hollered farewells behind him. Jack knew that the other hated it when he left without a proper good bye; feeling his sense of manners and propriety offended by each such instance. Jack hadn't yet found the words to tell Bunny the he never said goodbye because he was afraid that, if he did, there might never again come a time for a hello._

"Heroes know that things must happen when it is time for them to happen. A quest may not simply be abandoned; unicorns may go unrescued for a long time, but not forever; a happy ending cannot come in the middle of the story."  
― Peter S. Beagle


End file.
